The Curtain Calls
by ludenberg
Summary: Miku Hatsune was cast as the lead in Winter Sunflowers, a new musical by Vocal Android Productions. It was all she could ever dream of. But how can she cope with the perfectionist directors, the boisterous twins, her devilishly handsome co-star, and the whole over-enthusiastic ensemble? Read in 3/4. Multi-chapter, eventual Miku/Kaito, Luka/Gakupo and much more!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Vocaloid in any way.

**Prologue**

The waiting room was bustling with actors; Hatsune Miku was one of them. She was nervous, her knees shivering. The pressure inside the room was almost suffocating. Honestly, she didn't know _why_ people were sitting in the waiting room, practicing their lines and singing the songs. They only got to audition if the director Gakupo handpicked them and Miku knew she was a long shot. There were many candidates for the role of Phoebe Montague:

There was SeeU, the Korean-Japanese who was the middle of a circle of chairs, she was telling her story of training under a popular Korean Pop label. At first, she seemed shy, a wallflower. Miku, then, realized she just needed the right polishing to truly shine. When she started to sing though, there was a slight accent in her voice.

Lily, a distant relative of the director, was also a solid candidate. She had a strong voice and sharp looks. The teal-haired girl thought she would better suit an antagonist than Phoebe, but then she'd never seen the full extent of Lily's acting prowess. She had, however, heard her in live performances. Her voice was emotional enough to make people tear up.

Last but not least, there was the acting-Phoebe: Gumi Kamui, the director's cousin. She was a cute girl with short, green hair. She always smiled at everyone, never showing contempt despite being accused of nepotism by the critics. For some reason, she was sent back here by Gakupo. Maybe he wasn't satisfied with her performance. The director always had his complex for perfection. Gumi didn't once show a frown.

A waiting auditioner knocked hard on the door to make an announcement. "Everyone, Director Luka Megurine is coming this way!"

The room was in chaos. Everyone held on to their scripts and started doing lip rolls.

Gumi shifted in her seat, Gakupo had already handpicked a Phoebe just _minutes_ after he demoted her to alternate. She wondered who the lucky girl would be.

"I heard the director trashed her," a girl behind Gumi sneered.

"Really? His own cousin? That's harsh!" Another one replied, sniveling.

Gumi decided to ignore their rude comments. She understood Gakupo's craving for perfection, and she didn't mind it. She didn't think Phoebe Montague was _her_ role after all, it belonged to someone else. Someone more dedicated, someone like that teal-haired girl in the corner… didn't she star in a high school production? Gumi decided to approach her and spark a conversation, but she walked to the comfort room in a hurry. _Cold feet, huh? _Gumi internally giggled.

-end of prologue-

**A/N: **Yeah, I decided to rewrite the prologue. Please enjoy this fanfiction!


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Vocaloid. I do own the fictional musical, _Winter Sunflowers_ and its equally fictional cast of characters.

**Chapter 1**

The click-clacking of Luka Megurine's heels on the tiles of the empty halls of the Vocal Android Productions building resonated like the dripping of tap water during a silent night. It was almost frightening how quiet the halls were.

The halls were usually rowdy during weekends, but not today. The announcement of a new play, a _musical_, in fact was news to everyone. So, they all set off to work in their assigned stations. Everyone was very busy for the new production, _Winter Sunflowers._

The set and props people were all assigned to the left wing, where most of the noise could be heard, albeit muffled and very soft. The Kagamine twins had their work cut off for them there. Despite being a new production team, Vocal Android Productions (Vocaloid-P for short) are known for their exquisite sets and their authentic props.

Luka recalled a time they had to create glowing swords for a play about two men in the future, fighting for the love of a woman. It earned the crowd's rousing applause when the lead man brandished his glowing sword, making it look like he conjured it out of thin air using magic when in reality, the sword was covered in a black cloth with small pieces of neon confetti inside as to achieve a glittery effect. The actor just had to quickly unravel the cloth from the neon sword, which shined due to the black light installed at the bottom of the stage. All the good reviews focused on how amazing the effects were. The executive director of Vocaloid-P made the Kagamine twins the hard-earned heads of the Set Design and Props Department.

She passed by the room where Meiko diligently worked on the costumes their actors wore. If anything was more detailed than the set, the costumes were. Each costume was meticulously handmade, not a seam out of place. She made sure every bead stayed in place and every feather on a hat should never be plucked out, as this would ruin the design. Meiko and her crew worked particularly hardest on women's costumes, and it shows during historical plays or plays on Greek Myths. Luka waved at Meiko, hoping she wasn't too busy. The brunette cheerfully waved back at her, showing the bandages for the cuts she acquired during multiple clothing excursions, and quickly returned to her work.

Finally, Luka was at the waiting room where the waitlisted aspiring actors and actresses were. She could hear the girls reading their lines and the boys were practicing along with them. From the window, she saw some girls crying out of either nervousness or deep attachment to their acting. They all turned their attention when the door opened, expressions stunned. Their eyes were full of hope and wanting. Some of them were part of the crew, some of them were outsiders who heard of the new musical and desperately want a role. There were less of the latter at this point, because the musical is fresh and unknown.

The pink haired directress then spoke, "Is there a Miku Hatsune in here?"

Whispers of "_Who's Miku Hatsune?" _and "_Ohmygosh, Miss Megurine is here!"_ echoed throughout the walls of the room. Hushed voices talking about the same topic made the pink-haired directress's head ache. Luka cleared her throat. The room was dead silent once again.

"Is Miku Hatsune in here?" She asked again, in a louder voice.

"Y-YES! YES, SHE IS!" …Where did that come from? Luka looked around, and saw someone coming out from the bathroom inside the waiting room. She had toilet paper wrapped around her right leg and she was quite literally hopping to get it off, as well as struggling not to let anyone see underneath the skirt she wore. In between the bounces, Luka could hear a soft "This is so embarrassing!" from the teal-haired girl. It took a few seconds for her to finally compose herself. She fixed her fringe and straightened out her pink, pleated skirt.

"Yes, I'm here." She said calmly.

"Miss Hatsune," Luka held out her hand and smiled sweetly at Miku, despite the terrible first impressions she got from her. "You are requested directly by Director Gakupo to audition for the lead role of Phoebe Montague."

_The role of Phoebe Montague…_ those words took quite a while to process. The girl who sacrificed her love for the sake of her family's honor, the girl who nearly betrayed her family for a taste of true love, _that_ Phoebe Montague? Miku thought that Isabella Smith was her best shot, but no! She was offered the _leading role_. She could leap right now if her mind would just allow it. She could somersault her way to the main theatre right now, had she not been so shocked. _PHOEBE MONTAGUE..._

Everyone in the room gasped because of the news. The room was in total silence, as if numb from shock. Gumi, Gakupo's green-haired cousin, stood up first, grabbed Miku's hands and with a big smile on her face, broke the silence and said, "Wow! That's awesome! Congratulations!"

Everyone soon said the same thing, though they did not approach Miku as Gumi had. A small number of girls tried to congratulate her but with bitter smiles and envious eyes. The teal-haired girl did not notice them though; her vision was fogged up by her happiness. "Thank you everyone!" Miku said happily, tears flirting at her bottom eyelids.

"Come with me, please Miss Hatsune." The pink haired directress told Miku, who nodded immediately. They both left the waiting room, with the teal-haired girl following Luka's footsteps.

Miku Hatsune was a newbie at Vocaloid-P. She did not know the ropes yet and she had quite literally just signed up a week ago. She was signed up as an ensemble cast member for plays and musicals for she thought it would help her build her career and give her experience for bigger roles. Apparently, Luka said that she caught Gakupo's eye prior to joining Vocaloid-P. She was cast for a main role in her high school's production of Lariat, and after the show, Gakupo asked her if she wanted to be a part of Vocal Android Productions. Of course, Miku said yes.

So after graduating Crypton High School, instead of going to a university, Miku worked with Vocal Android. She thought she had made the wrong decision but the current happenings prove that she did not. Being handpicked to audition by Director Gakupo (who was actually no more than three years older than Miku) meant that she had a huge chance to bag the part. A leading role in a Vocaloid-P production… Miku could only dream. But now, her dreams were turning into reality!

They were getting closer to the main theatre where Gakupo Kamui was waiting. The hallway to the theatre was painted gold and the carpet, over the golden tiles, was red. It made one feel like a superstar just walking on it normally. They were already at the door when Luka decided to stop.

"Have you practiced your lines?" Luka faced the teal-haired girl. She was so young, not older than eighteen.

"Yes, I have." All day and all night, Miku thought. She would look at herself in the mirror and make herself cry at the drop of a hat. The auditioners, though, were not given the sheet music for the songs. Luckily, Miku knew a thing or two about reading music.

Luka turned the knob and opened the doors, revealing the huge main theatre. It was the most magnificent sight Miku had ever seen. The theatre was dome-shaped, with two floors. The chairs were soft and covered in velvet; they folded up when you are no longer sitting on them. The balconies were adorned with statues of mermaids at the sides on the top of the pillars. The stage was enormous, enough to carry 30 people with proper distance at once. The red curtains were not drawn, and they seemed heavy to pull back, not a speck of dust was visible on the bloody red of the cloth. There was a mural of the orange sunset on the ceiling and to top it all off, there was a huge, intricate chandelier that lit up the whole theatre. It was the picture of elegance; Miku could not keep her jaw shut.

"Gakupo!" Luka exclaimed, as she walked towards the sleeping man on a seat that said "director." His snoozing face was covered by the megaphone. His snoring was very audible, though it did not reverberate throughout the theatre, fortunately. "GAKUPO!" The directress said again, this time with her volume turned up.

The purple haired man jolted awake, dropping the megaphone with an audible clank. He quickly picked it up to check if the megaphone was broken or not. He set it aside on his director's chair, and approached the two ladies in a semi-suave manner. Gakupo Kamui had long, beautiful hair that reached his waist. If Miku observed it enough, Gakupo's hair was slightly longer than Miss Luka's. She internally chuckled at the thought.

"Miss Miku Hatsune," Gakupo gave a slight bow, "how very pleasing to see you under these circumstances."

Miku felt her cheeks get warm. "Oh, n-no, I'm grateful that you chose me!" She bowed as well, a few angles lower than him.

"Now, I take it you know your lines?" She nodded. Miku had signed up for both Phoebe Montague and Isabella Smith. In her excitement, she had memorized their monologues in a span of 10 minutes. Gakupo gestured to the stage, Miku hurried up the stairs to the center of the platform.

Miku felt light, like she could do just about anything at the moment. Gakupo and Luka looked smaller from the stage, like they were measly spectators of her show. She felt confident. She took a deep breath as the words from the monologue scrolled through her consciousness like flipping through the leaves of a book.

"Are you ready, Miss Hatsune?" Gakupo said, words amplified by the megaphone. It was not broken, thank goodness.

"Yes, I am, Mr. Kamui." Miku replied, smiling confidently. She had her arms firmly at her sides, her clenched fists the only things that show she is ever slightly nervous. Miku opened her mouth to recite Phoebe's monologue but she was interrupted by the purple-haired director.

"I don't feel like a monologue today." Gakupo chuckled, eyes apologetic, "Maybe we should do something a bit more fun."

Luka glanced at Gakupo with a smile; she knew that he was thinking. Miku, however, did not. She wore a curious expression on her face. _More fun?_ She thought.

"I meant method acting, my teal-haired muse." Gakupo made a grand gesture with his arms as if to emphasize his point.

"We want to see how much you know the character." Luka added, taking a plastic flower from a nearby vase. The pink-haired directress walked up to Miku so that she was beside her. She turned to the right so they were facing each other. She then mouthed, _Always stay in character, _hoping Miku would understand. The girl mouthed _okay_.

"Miss Hatsune," Gakupo's voice resonated throughout the theatre, "how would Phoebe accept that flower?"

Miku thought to gulp, but then she remembered, _always stay in character_. She did not show any nervousness or fright in her eyes, rather they reflected gentleness. She used her thumb and index finger to take the flower from Luka delicately. With a smile on her face, she caressed the petals as if they were fragile and precious.

Gakupo beamed, his eyes seeming glowing under the theatre's lighting. "That was _perfect_!" He exclaimed, nearly jumping for joy.

"Do you really think so?" The young girl used her lighter, Phoebe-like voice which sounded like the feathers of a swan. Luka was pleased as well, seeing as she nodded in response. "Oh, I am truly delighted!" She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand like an English lady.

"Oh, my teal-haired muse. I _knew_ I would never go wrong with you." Gakupo applauded, joining the two onstage. Miku never broke character, even as both directors complimented her. Yes, yes. He could do a lot with this girl. She is _exactly_ what he was looking for. He saw the image of Phoebe Montague in this lady.

But Gakupo was not finished with his experiment. He had to make absolutely sure she was the one.

"Luka, call Ethan Smith's new actor." The purple haired director commanded, "now's the time for the real test."

-end of chapter 1-

**A/N:** Phoebe Montague. Hehe. Geddit? It's homage to A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Vocaloid, or "Last Night Good Night" by livetune. I do, however, own the fictional musical _Winter Sunflowers_ and its equally fictional cast of characters.

**Chapter 2**

It was almost like a fairytale; a scene in a cheesy romance movie. Miku watched Luka come into the theatre with the man who, if she did well, would become her co-actor. _Ethan Smith:_ Phoebe's lover and Isabella's fiancé-turned-husband. He had electric blue hair with sharp, cobalt eyes to match. His slender stature was accented by his broad shoulders. He was dressed casually in a black leather jacket that emphasized his eyes, over a moss green v-collared shirt. She swore she could hear harps in the distance. (Actually, there _were_ harps in the distance, the string section of the orchestra were practicing the score.)

Miku realized that she was ogling him and quickly shook her head. No, no. Miku Hatsune, be decent. Be _cool._ But, gods, he was handsome. He wasn't beautiful like Gakupo was; his suave stature was almost immaculate, Apollo-like. Surely, he can't be all perfect. The teal-haired actress could not stop staring at the man coming towards her and Gakupo.

For the past half hour, she and Gakupo had been trying different examples of method acting. Like, "What would Phoebe do if she was lost?" Miku would then reply that Phoebe would look for the nearest police officer. Gakupo would praise her greatly for every correct answer, and scorn her just as extremely for the wrong one. It seems as though he was thoroughly convinced that Miku was the perfect Phoebe and though she did not believe that, she did not want to deny it either. Getting the lead role was a dream for her and with what is happening now; she would never want to wake up.

The final test was a chemistry test with the newly cast Ethan. He wanted to check if their voices blend together and harmonize like two lovebirds in spring. The director wanted to make absolutely sure that this musical would be a success. The script was raw and powerful, the music, heartbreaking. He would make absolutely sure that _Winter Sunflowers_ would make the headlines. He needed the perfect leads to drive the story along. He needed them to wring the hearts of the audience like a dishcloth and make them weep like newborn babies. To Gakupo, perfection is attainable.

The blue-haired Apollo (Gakupo's pet-naming got to her) started to approach Miku, making her squeal internally. _No, no. Be decent, Miku. _She realized her heart was beating faster than it should, especially for a stranger such as him. Oh no, he was looking at her. His sharp, cobalt eyes are looking at her. It made Miku feel quite conscious, she immediately straightened her skirt and fixed her collar.

"Miss Hatsune," Luka said as she and blue-haired Apollo finally approached her, "this is Kaito. He is our new Ethan." As he was introduced, Apollo-no—_Kaito _bowed slightly.

"H-hello." Miku stuttered awkwardly, giving him a bow as well.

"I am pleased to meet you, Miss Hatsune." Kaito said, exposing his rich baritone onto Miku's unprepared ears. His syllables sounded like honey. "I was saddened to know that the past Ethan was not up to Gakupo's standards." He chuckled as he elbowed the purple-haired director's stomach. It seems as though they knew each other well.

"He simply did not have the charisma of Ethan. Such a shame, though. He and Gumi would have been the perfect pair."Gakupo sighed, remorse clear in his voice.

He truly wanted his cousin, Gumi to star as Phoebe but she breaks out of character under pressure and Gakupo cannot have that. He resolved to making her Miku's alternate, if she passed the test, but he had not told her yet. She would be ecstatic of course, and _of course_ the general public would accuse him of nepotism. Gakupo mentally rolled his eyes. While it is true that he likes Gumi more than the other actresses in the ensemble; he had never once handpicked her. She had to go through thorough auditions. Gumi had more charisma, a sweeter tone in her voice that could make anyone smile, than any of the girls at the waiting list. It was regrettable that he had to demote her to alternate, but Gumi understood quickly.

Gakupo walked over to the other side of the stage and took some sheet music from the nearby podium. This was one of Gakupo's favorite audition songs, and the harmonies were exquisite. This was the final test to see if Miku was the perfect Phoebe, and if he was not wrong in choosing Kaito for Ethan. He handed the sheet music to the both of them, and he noticed puzzled expressions. He could hear Miku quietly humming to herself, and Kaito eyeing the sheet music as if analyzing a difficult test question.

_Wow, this is high!_ Miku thought, seeing the soaring notes on the music sheet. She got the tune, hopefully she got the harmonies right as well. She tried to imagine how it would sound like harmonized. _Such a sad song_. Thank goodness she learned how to read music, if she didn't she was pretty sure the purple-haired director would be disappointed.

When the two were seemingly finished with studying the pieces of paper, Luka told them both to get ready. The two nodded in unison, and cleared their throats. Gakupo slumped back into his director's seat. He could just barely contain his excitement at hearing the two sing together and harmonizing ever so perfectly. He took a deep breath, and told them to begin.

"_Suyasuya… yume wo miteru," _Miku began singing and her voice sounded so clear among acoustics of the theatre. Her voice felt lightweight, and the song absolutely fit her voice like a glove.

"_Kimi no… yokogao…" _Kaito sang his part, confidence matching Miku's. Compared to Miku's voice, which was light, his voice was heavy, thus creating the perfect contrast that made it so pleasing to the ears.

"_Setsuna wo," _Miku and Kaito blended there, their notes effortlessly dancing with each other. "_Tokimeki wo…" _Their voices blended together beautifully, with Miku on the upper key and Kaito on the lower. It made Gakupo's eyes water and Luka's heart melt.

"_Kono mune ni kakushiteta no…" _The teal haired girl hit the note with no strain; she was soaring with those notes. Kaito supplied a matching harmony that gave the directors' goosebumps.

"_Last night… good night…" _They were finally at the chorus where the high notes could kill a person. Gakupo sensed that his teal-haired angel strained a little but quickly transferred to head voice. He noticed that her voice was overpowered by Kaito, and that was a problem.

As they finished the chorus, Gakupo raised his arm and made a fist, signaled them to stop. The teal-haired actress smiled, satisfied with her work. She could have hit those notes better if she had vocalized beforehand, though.

"Wow, you sound great!" Kaito complimented her with a thumbs-up.

"Thanks." Miku brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, and with a smile, replied, "You do too."

Luka approached the two and stood behind them. She put her hands on their shoulders and gave them a small squeeze for a good job. Miku noticed how small she was compared to everyone. Luka was already tall, but she had to tilt her head a bit to look at Kaito's eyes.

"Well, I guess that's it for today." Gakupo announced after he lifted himself from his seat. He turned to Miku, "You did well, my teal-haired muse. So did you, Kaito."

Gakupo strolled along the carpeted flooring of the theatre to the exit, megaphone in hand. His expression was unreadable, they could not tell if he was satisfied or disappointed. His pink-haired companion did not follow his lead just yet.

"We'll contact you both for further announcements." Luka reassured them, as she exited the stage.

Awkward silence filled the theatre when Miku and Kaito were left alone. Miku and Kaito were _alone. _Her heart could not take the embarrassment. The teal-haired girl was fiddling with her fingers as the blue-haired man was scratching the back of his neck.

"Well, I didn't expect them to leave us behind like this." Kaito's baritone pierced through the silence.

"Y-yeah, so did I!" She blurted out.

"You'd make the perfect Phoebe." Kaito praise took Miku aback. "No, really. I love the way your voice sounds on the high notes."

The teal-haired girl just stood there, and blinked. She racked her brain for a cohesive reply, but she was interrupted shortly by Kaito's ringtone.

"Hey, I need to take this, you just go ahead ok?" Miku mouthed an _okay. _Then, Kaito ran backstage to take the call. The theatre was silent enough for Miku to make out a girl's voice, but she was not so sure. She didn't want to eavesdrop on their conversation, so she made her way to the exit, leaving Kaito with the mysterious person on the other side of the phone.

-end of chapter 2-

**A/N:** Yeah, yeah. This chapter was shorter than the previous one. Guys, I would really, _really_ appreciate reviews. I'd like to know if this story is any good or if I should continue. Also, I love opinions. /heartheart


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Vocaloid in any way.

**Chapter 3**

It had been a whole day since the audition. Miku was nerve-wracked, her nails were cut short as to avoid biting them. She waited in her apartment, barely able to get some sleep. She sought peace in the comfort of coffee and soft pillows, yet they did not allow her to get any rest.

There were quite a lot of things going on in her mind: whether she'll get the role, or if her chemistry with Kaito was enough to satisfy Gakupo. Did she hit those notes right? Was the song just too high for her? Did Kaito overpower her? Did the softness of her eyes match the sharpness of Kaito's? Would they look good together? Is she actually thinking about him in the midst of her nervousness?

She decided to confide in her childhood friend, Ia. They had been friends since they were little; they used to sing together on school affairs until she left to study abroad when they were thirteen. They'd been in touch but she does miss her friend dearly. It's surprising how they maintain such a close friendship even when they're hundreds of miles apart from each other. Thank the Internet, right?

Finally, Miku rose from lying down on the bed for the past hour, slipped on her kitty slippers and walked to her computer desk. She booted the computer on with a push of a button. Her eyes strained from the sudden light that emerged from the screen. Her desktop smelled of leek and onion rings. She brushed away crumbs of soda crackers with the back of her hand while waiting for the computer to turn on._ I seriously need a new laptop._

Once the computer was finally turned on and functioning, the teal-haired girl double-clicked on Video Chatter. She sat there leaning on her left hand as she watched the small digital hourglass go upside-down and back-side up again and again. It was 8PM. It should be about 5PM where Ia was. Hopefully, she was online.

There was a beep, then Miku was shown her list of contacts. She scrolled down to where Ia's name would be and… YES! SHE WAS ONLINE! She opened a chat window with her.

39lovesleeks (8:01PM): IA! are u available ryt nao?

Miku rapped her fingers at the base of the keyboard. A little moving pencil showed up below her message, indicating that Ia was online and typing.

IAtheSpacePrincess (8:02PM): yea im here :)

39lovesleeks (8:02PM): can i video call u?

IAtheSpacePrincess (8:03PM): sher!

Miku clicked the blue phone icon and waited for her friend on the other side to answer the call.

"Hi Miku!"

Ia's voice was crystal clear, even though the quality of the call would prove otherwise. Her webcam was fuzzy, but Miku could see clearly that Ia was also in her star-patterned pajamas… at 5PM. She loved star and galaxy patterns on her clothes. She loved the idea of going to space and watching the moon. Of course, it could symbolize that Ia wanted to be the star that shined brightest on the Milky Way.

Miku waved enthusiastically. "Hey Ia, I've got something to tell you!"

The prism-haired girl leaned forward, "Really? Tell me all about it!"

"Well, remember how I signed up for Vocal Android Productions?" Ia nodded.

The teal-haired girl held back a squeal. "Some sort of miracle happened."

"Like what?!"

"Like the director hand-picked me to star in the musical!"

"Whoa… really? I'm so happy for you!"

"I don't know either! And there's this guy… if I get this role, he might just be my co-star."

"Is he handsome?"

"Yes."

"With a luscious voice?"

"_Yes."_

"Ask him out then."

"I can't!"

"_Miku Hatsune. _You were the first one to get a boyfriend among us and now you're being _shy?"_

"What if he has a girlfriend? I mean, a guy like _him?_ What kind of girl would be stupid enough to _not_ have him?"

"Did you just conclude that without any sort of proof?"

"No… before I left the audition, a person called him… I think it was a girl from what I heard…"

"It _could_ be his mother."

"Ia, he's about 21 or possibly older. The girl on the phone sounded pretty young too."

"Listen; just observe him from a distance. Watch his body language when the woman calls again."

"Okay." _Gakupo would probably rat him out if he doesn't have his phone on silent, though._ Miku giggled internally.

"Hey, I gotta go. My shift is in an hour and I gotta get ready."

"Thanks for the time, Ia." Miku said cheerfully. She waved goodbye as Ia waved back. She pressed the red phone icon and ended the call. She switched off the computer with a "beep" then dragged her feet and bounced back to her fluffy bed.

Her pillows seemed softer now that she cleared her mind after that conversation with Ia. Maybe this time she could finally go to sleep. She rolled around her back and lay on her tummy. This was the position Miku favored, as she felt the full fluffiness of her bed on her stomach. Ah,yes. _Finally! _Time to go to slee—

BRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIINGGGGG. BRRRRRIIIIIINGGGGG.

_Curse that phone. _

Miku dragged herself out of bed, not even bothering to put on her kitty slippers anymore. She let the phone ring thrice before she picked it up.

"Hello?" said Miku, groggily.

"Is that _you_, Miss Hatsune?" It was Luka! She _did_ say that they would contact her sometime after the audition. Was this her moment of truth?!

Miku cleared her throat. "Yes, this is me. Good evening, Miss Megurine."

"Good evening to you too! Director Gakupo requests that you meet with us tomorrow at the main theatre at 10AM."

"Sure! I'll be there."

"Great, we'll be waiting." And with that, the call ended.

Miku's heart was beating fast. Was it good news or bad news? Is she getting the role or is she not? She wished she could just sleep it off, but with that call? Nigh impossible. She wanted to call Ia again, but she would be busy preparing her job by now. She fell back unto the bed, hoping she would fall asleep before the hundredth sheep jumps over the fence. _ Sleep it off… sleep it off…_

xoxox

Miku woke up 3 hours early to get ready. It took her 30 minutes to bathe and another 30 minutes to brush the frizz off her hair. Fortunately, the Vocaloid-P main theatre was only 10 minutes away by train.

She had to dress well for the occasion, so she selected her three lucky outfit combinations: one, a white, lacy camisole with khaki shorts; two, an apple green sleeveless blouse with a pencil skirt; and three, a black, knee-length flared skirt paired with a floral crop trop.

She pondered for a moment, thinking _which outfit is the most Phoebe?_ She decided on the third combination, since it looked the most elegant. She picked up the black skirt combination and put them on. She snatched her pair of Dr. Marten's shoes from her drawer and slipped her feet inside. She straightened out her skirt and tucked in the crop top. She rummaged her jewelry box to look for her G-clef pendant and hung it over her neck. To finish her outfit off, she wore her hair in twin buns, instead of her usual pig tails. She applied a dash of lip tint before lining her eyes black for a subtle enhancement. She looked at herself in the mirror. _You're ready for this Miku. _She nodded and went for the door.

The city was bustling as usual, with the children playing with their dogs in the park and their parents telling them not to go too far. The old ladies were sweeping the fallen cherry blossom petals and the speakers blasted loud, peppy music. The weather was pleasant, too, as the breeze kissed her cheeks and combed through her fringe. The sun's rays weren't as blinding as they were during the summer and the skies showed no sign of rain whatsoever. Simply the atmosphere of her environment put Miku in an optimistic mood.

When she arrived at the train station, she slid her card on the scanner for identification. She sat on the waiting benches for her train ride to the next station, where the main theatre would just be close by. She checked her cellphone for the time; it was 9:35AM. She prayed she would make it in time.

xoxox

Gakupo glanced at his wristwatch. It was 9:50AM, almost time. His regal purple hair was tied in a low ponytail allowing the rest of his hair rest on his shoulder. His partner, Luka was seated next to him, eyes glued to a novel. Silence filled the air. He wished his co-director would at least attempt to talk to him.

She wore a white blouse with a black blazer, matched with a pin stripe pencil skirt. Her pink locks were tied up in a loose French braid; her ears were adorned with diamonds studs. To Gakupo Kamui, Luka Megurine was the epitome of class. The way her sapphire eyes would scan the page thoroughly, and the way her she would purse her lips if she saw something unpleasant made Gakupo attracted to her. Her eyes suddenly darted away from the book and directly to his. She glared at him, her sapphire eyes piercing his every being. _Note to self: Never let Luka Megurine catch you staring. _

"What is it, Gakupo?" Luka said sternly. She closed her book and sighed, "Please stop staring at me."

"I am not. I am simply admiring your beauty." Gakupo grinned as he saw Luka's cheeks turn pink. The doors to the theatre opened abruptly and in the nick of time, Miku Hatsune arrived, out of breath.

Luka bolted out of her seat to greet her. "Ah, Miss Hatsune! Your timing is impeccable."

"Indeed, it is." Gakupo muttered under his breath. He also rose from his seat to meet his teal-haired muse. He dug out an envelope from the inside of his coat. With an amused expression, he handed her the envelope.

"Go ahead," he told her. Miku pried the envelope open to reveal a small piece of stationary. It smelled of roses and… eggplant? The two directors prodded her to open the folded piece of paper. Miku mouthed the words on the envelope silently.

It read:

_Congratulations, Miss __**Miku Hatsune**__._

_You have landed the role of __**Phoebe Montague**__ in the musical, __**Winter Sunflowers**__ by the Vocal Android Productions._

Miku's eyes started to water. She could not contain her happiness. Her dreams were coming true at last!

"I-I don't know what to say…" she blubbered, barely comprehensible. Gakupo offered her his handkerchief since he saw tears flirting at the bottom of her eyelids.

"Rehearsals start the day after tomorrow, Miss Hatsune," Gakupo announced, "I expect no less than your best."

"Yes, of course!" Miku replied, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, too ashamed to use Gakupo's (eggplant-patterned) handkerchief.

"Well." Luka clapped her hands together, "I think this calls for a celebration."

"Will you join us for brunch, Miss Hatsune?" The purple haired director invited.

Miku's eyed widened, she tried to refuse. "Oh, no, I can't I—"

"But we can't just let that pretty outfit go to waste!" Gakupo playfully countered, gesturing at her attire. They had a point. She was wearing her lucky outfit today. Supposedly after this meeting, she would just change into her comfortable pajamas. She conceded after thinking through Gakupo's reply.

Gakupo seized his cellphone from his pants pocket and dialed his driver's number.

The receiver finally picked up. The purple haired director replied loudly so everyone can hear him. "Yes, yes. We're at the main theatre. You'll be here 5 minutes? Okay."

Gakupo switched off his phone, turned to the girls and said, "How about we engage in small talk while we wait?"

The five minutes passed quickly with Gakupo telling them of the time when he substituted for his friend as the lead singer for his friend's band. He was doing so well so far, until the guitar solo, when he decided to take the microphone off the stand and spin it around like a ferris wheel. After the third spin, the microphone hit his head and he dropped to the ground, whimpering from the pain like a child. It was not a very glorious moment for him.

The sound of Gakupo's ringtone resonated throughout the theatre. He scurried to find his phone, nearly dropping it at once instance. Once the call was finished, he escorted the girls to the parking lot, where the sole car was gorgeous black Mustang.

The driver stepped out of the car and tipped his cap to Gakupo, who saluted back to him. Before he made his way to the front seat, the purple haired director made sure the two ladies went inside the car first. The car smelled like pine with a hint of eggplants. The driver shifted gears, pressed the accelerator and drove to wherever they'd have brunch in.

They were in a district of the city Miku would never have the pride to walk in. She called it the "Rich People" district. It's the place where you can buy expensive clothes and dine finely with your sweetheart. At the center of the district, there is a wishing fountain. The focal point of the fountain was the statue of a water nymph above ground, with her arms wide open. The running water looked a huge wave that raised the nymph to make her lover see her.

Gakupo asked the driver to stop at a place called "Cuisine La Prima." He said that they serve the best brunch there and usually at this time, the owners should be entertaining the guests with singing. Prima and her husband, Tonio, were both classically trained singers who loved to dine as well. It just made sense that they make an entertainment restaurant as well.

Miku was stunned when she entered the restaurant. The walls were painted black but the ceilings were perfectly lit so that it wasn't too bright or too dull. The tables were rectangular and draped in a burgundy tablecloth. The centerpiece of every table was a six-handed candelabrum behind a small basket of roses. At the front of the restaurant, there was a stage occupied by two wonderful singers. She concluded that the beautiful brunette wearing the wine-colored dress was Prima, and the dashing man in the suit was Tonio.

"Table for three, please," Gakupo whispered to the person behind the desk. The man nodded and motioned a waitress, who was waiting for a job, to help them to their seats.

They were placed at the table two rows away from the stage. The music was loud enough to be appreciated, though not loud enough to be irascible. Gakupo was glad Prima recognized him immediately. She gave him a knowing wink and a subtle wave of the hand.

The pink haired directress called for a waitress once they decided what to eat. A gray-haired girl with a pale complexion moved towards them to take their orders. She looked low-spirited; it's as if she had a permanent rain cloud above her head. She tried to crack a smile for them, though.

"Yes, uhm, Miss Yowane?" Luka spotted her name tag. _Haku Yowane._

"Yes, ma'am?" Haku replied, holding up her notepad and ballpen, patiently waiting for their choices.

"I'd like a tuna club sandwich," She pointed to the dish on the menu. "Miss Hatsune would like a Leek and Mushroom soup, and Mr. Gakupo would like the Eggplant Parmigiana."

The waitress jotted them all down on her notepad, and repeated their order.

"Great choices, ma'ams and sir," she said, forcing a smile, "I will be back in fifteen minutes with your meals." She bowed, and marched to the kitchen.

Prima and Tonio took five from the stage and strolled towards Gakupo's table. Prima slid her arms around her husband's, who seemed to be pleased with that. The couple greeted them all with a handshake.

"Sorry about her!" Tonio whispered, scratching his hand at the back of his head. "She's new around here, and desperately needed a job."

Prima giggled. "At she's much better than that other one we hired who never looks up from her phone, huh?" She shifted her attention to the people at the table, eyeing them carefully.

"Gakupo, darling!" She reached out to smother Gakupo in a hug, "Long time no see!"

"Yes, it truly has been." Gakupo responded, trying to force out a smile. He succumbed to the hug but did not return it when he noticed the glares from her husband. Then, they heard a "Mrs. Prima! Mr. Tonio!" followed by a crashing sound from the backstage. Tonio apologized, and left to attend to the matter.

"I hope I can be a part of another one of your endeavors, Director Kamui!" Prima waved goodbye, and they all returned the gesture.

When they left, Gakupo looked at Miku and said, "She was the lead in the previous musical. Such a beautiful voice, no?"

"Her husband Tonio, though," Luka interjected, "Was not pleased with the fact that he was not cast alongside his wife despite being an equally good singer."

Gakupo nodded in agreement. "At least he was a very civil man." He toyed with the table napkin with his fingers out of anxiety, possibly guilt. Luka placed her hand on top of his and squeezed it. Gakupo smiled at the gesture before she removed her hand from his.

"Miss Hatsune," Gakupo stated, crossing his arms. "I've assigned my cousin Gumi to be your alternate."

Miku processed this idea. Of course she would need an alternate, especially for matinee performances. Gumi would have been Phoebe after all, if she hadn't been so absentminded.

"Okay," she responded, "what of…Kaito?"

The two directors glanced at each other. Miku looked like a schoolgirl with a crush, but they were well-mannered enough not to tease her about it. At least, not yet.

"He will be your Ethan, of course." Luka answered. _Your Ethan… My Ethan… My Kaito…_ that sounded nice to Miku's eardrums, but quickly shook her head at the thought.

The gloomy waitress soon arrived with their dishes, a tray on the palm of her hand, and the one plate balanced efficiently on her arm.

"Eggplant parmigiana," she spoke flatly as laid out the plate on her palm to Gakupo.

"Tuna club sandwich." Luka nodded as the plate was placed in front of her.

"And… the leek and mushroom soup." Haku positioned the bowl in front of Miku laid out the table napkin and placed it onto her lap.

Seeing as the customers were pleased with their meal, Haku told them to enjoy and relax. She took a polite bow and left again.

The purple haired director raised his glass, "A toast to our new Phoebe." With that, they all clicked the glasses.

As Gakupo wrapped his fingers on the fork and knife, he noticed Miku's preference for the leeks instead of the mushrooms in her soup, since she was skipping the mushrooms and chewed on the green vegetable instead.

"Miss Hatsune, do you have an affinity with leeks?" His comment made Miku blush. "Because I," he spoke, raising a tidbit of eggplant, "have an affinity with eggplants!"

Miku chuckled. "I can't say I didn't notice that."

"Do you want to know _why_ I was ever so attached to the eggplant?" Gakupo asked, his grin wide and eyes full of nostalgia.

"Heeere we go again," Luka groaned. Miku had a feeling this was going to be a long story.

-end of chapter 3-

**A/N: **Well _that_ was a long chapter. Kind of. Thank you to my best friends who motivated me to keep on writing this fic (Ilu bbys). And to Micchan, who helped me with the restaurant. I went past my word cap xD So many character cameos for this chapter, right? I swear, the plot will move farther in the next chapter. For now, reviews are the best! Till then~


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Vocaloid in any way.

**Chapter 4**

It was raining today. Miku didn't really dislike it when the sky was crying; rather, she took solace in the sound of the pitter-patter on the window pane. She was cooped up in the Vocaloid-P building's library, sitting on the wooden floor. She had her knees to her chest, her script she held on top of her kneecaps.

Gakupo had advised her at the brunch date to start memorizing her script and her songs. She decided that the library was the best place to study, since everyone else was busy with props and costumes. "Phoebe" had her own work cut out for her, which included sung-through monologues and complicated lyrics. Miku stretched her legs; she was feeling a bit sleepy… and quite bored.

…It made her feel a little bit guilty that she was here doing small things while the crew was somewhere in the left wing painting the backgrounds for the show. _Maybe I should pay them a little visit…_ she pondered. She hadn't seen the interior of the west wing yet, and she was curious. She wanted to be memorable not just to the audience, but to the whole Vocaloid-P community as well. Plus, making friends was never a bad idea!

Miku propped herself up and stuffed her script into her backpack, carefully not making any creases. She pulled her hood over her head and exited the library. She trotted down the hallway, admiring the simple designs of the walls. She memorized the edges of the halls, trying to remember the route to the left wing. Soon enough, she found herself at a crossroad. She shook her hood down and let it rest on her neck.

"It should be around here somewhere…" Miku directed her index finger left and right but she could not decide where to go. She scratched at her chin, and raised her leg to step forward until she heard voices. She figured she needed a little bit of help.

"I'm telling you, Len, you need a haircut." She heard a girl's voice say.

"But I thought girls liked spikes!" Another voice popped in, this time a boy's.

Miku searched for the origin of the sound. She utilized her sense of hearing to trace the voices, but they found her first instead of the other way around. She saw a pair of blondes who looked very much alike, probably twins. They both had blue eyes, but the boy's eyes were a darker shade of blue than the girl's.

The boy pointed at her. "Hey, are you—"

"Miku Hatsune!" The girl interrupted, her squeal taking Miku aback. She grabbed Miku's hands and shook them, hopping up and down in excitement.

"I was _going _to ask if she was lost," snapped the girl's (presumable) twin, "but hey, it's our Phoebe!" He gestured to the teal-haired girl.

"It's nice to finally meet you!" the blonde said with a smile, "my name's Rin Kagamine."

"And I'm Len Kagamine." He gave a friendly grin. "Are you lost?"

"I'm Miku Hatsune, but I guess you know that." Miku rubbed her open palm at the back of her head. "Y-yes, I'm lost," she admitted, "I was on my way to the left wing."

"What a surprise! We were too!" Rin exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

"Would you like me to escort you, My Lady?" Len schmoozed flirtatiously, bowing down with his arm held out. Rin rolled her eyes at the gesture then turned her attention to Phoebe's actress.

"We'll show you the way." The blonde linked her arm around Miku's and started walking down the hallway.

"It wasn't nice to ignore me, you know." Her twin complained, following suit.

The teal-haired girl made sure to memorize the route this time around, so she wouldn't get lost anymore. Though, it would be nice to meet more people like Rin and Len. It made the experience much more memorable. She didn't want to comment on how heavy the blonde felt on her arm, so she shut her mouth.

Miku heard more voices as they approached the left wing, so she figured they should be close. She could feel the atmosphere changing as they neared the location. She could just imagine the chaos, the mess and the _fun_ occurring inside it. She wondered if the people there were as energetic as the twins at her side.

There was a big gate separating the main building and the left wing. It was made of steel, thicker than the normal gates they found at the houses in the city. The executives could have put it there to lessen the noise. When the twins opened the gate, Miku understood why.

The world of the left wing was a chaotic place. People were splashing paint onto each other; the walls were splattered with the residue of said splashed paint. Cardboard cut outs were scattered on the floor; origami creations were glued onto them for no apparent reason. On the subject of the floor, there was also glitter and confetti adding to the filth of the room. It was lively, it was joyful. Miku loved the feeling; it wasn't peaceful, that's for sure, but it felt so friendly, so welcoming.

"You better wear this," whispered Rin, handing her a transparent raincoat, "hurry! Before they realize it's you!"

Miku got the idea and turned around. She slipped her hands inside the raincoat, before pulling it down her body. Truthfully, Miku didn't know why she was wearing the plastic garment… until someone from the left wing crowd cried, "HEY ISN'T THAT MIKU HATSUNE?" followed by, "LET'S GIVE HER THE PROPER LEFT WING WELCOME!"

"That means a paintball assault," Len informed her, "but don't worry, it's just the water that you dip your paint into."

That information didn't exactly make Miku relax. The Left Wing surely had the strangest way of welcoming a person. Bracing herself, she used her arms to shield her head. She held her breath, waiting for the first wave of paintballs.

"HERE WE GOOOOO!" one left-winger said, as she swung the first paintball at Miku. It didn't hurt at all at first, but then came the second and the third… until she couldn't count anymore. She admitted to herself that getting hit with balloons filled with colored water wasn't the most pleasurable experience ever, but she was actually having fun.

She opened her arms and embraced the paintball attack, the paint dripping onto her chest, her fringe (hopefully she could wash it off when she bathes later), and her shoes. She's never felt this welcome in her whole life. She could get used to this, but unfortunately, she would only be welcomed like this during her first visit so, she decided to make the most out of it.

About a hundred or a thousand paintballs later, the teal-haired girl thought the assault was over. There was a moment of radio silence. Then, Rin shouted, "CHAAARGEEE!" and everyone from the left wing came towards her, arms open. Miku blinked and realized she was the middle of a very warm group hug. '_Most memorable experience so far,'_ Miku thought, resting her head on Rin's shoulder.

After that mess, the three decided to have a small chat with each other. Len grabbed some newspapers and laid them on the floor so as not to soil their clothes while they talked. They were positioned near the stained glass window, where the light streamed into different colors.

"Wait, so you guys invented the welcome tradition?" Miku asked as she took off her soggy raincoat and laid it on the floor.

"Yeah," Len answered, his hands supporting his torso's weight, "back when Vocaloid-P was still young."

"Oh man, back then," Rin reminisced, holding her knees to her chest, "it was just me, Len, Meiko, Gakupo and Luka. Gakupo was the first person we tried it on and since, no one has rivaled his reaction."

Len cackled. The loudness of his voice made everyone turned around, but he gestured them to go back to work. "He was beet red and thrashing all over the place. But he was mostly embarrassed because he didn't want his '_pink-haired angel'_ to see him in such a '_shameful manner'._"

"He's been chasing Luka's tail since middle school," Rin said, sighing wistfully. "I wish someone would want me like he does."

"Good luck with that." Len smirked, crossing his arms.

"What about Kaito?" Miku suddenly blurted out. Cheeks a light shade of pink, she cupped mouth with her hands.

"Kaito… Shion?" Rin tilted her head, "Oh! Him! Yeah, I remember him." She noticed how pink her new friend's cheeks were. "Do you like him?" Her grin rivaled that of the Chesire Cat's.

"…I guess you could say that…" Miku mumbled, tapping her index fingers together. Rin's expression turned into an unreadable one. She looked amused, yet her eyes reflected otherwise. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, of course not." Len replied, leaning forward. His smile was uneasy and obviously strained.

"I'll stay away if I have to," the teal-haired girl huffed, leaning back into the wall. She did not expect the reactions she was given. Did that mean Kaito really was taken?

"I-it's not that we're discouraging you," Rin stammered, her hands waving over her face, "it's just…" She put her hands down to her lap, clenching her fists.

Miku knit her eyebrows together and pursed her lips, but she decided to let the topic rest for the while. "It's okay; you don't have to tell me today." She assured them. Keyword: _Today._

The rain had finally stopped. The gentle pitter-patter was traded for the chirping of birds. The grey sky was replaced with the blue sky, full of life and hope. The light that emitted from the stained glass window was almost blinding.

"I'd better head back home." Miku said, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. She stood up and the twins rose at the same time as her.

"Let us walk you home." Len offered, gesturing to the both of them.

"No thanks," Miku politely refused, "I take the train home." She took a bow, then bound for the gate. But before she went out she thanked everyone for the wonderful day.

"Bye, you two." The teal-haired girl beamed, waving goodbye to the twins.

"See you again!" Rin said, arms up in the air, waving back.

"See you later." Len smiled, raising his hand in reply to Miku's gesture.

Miku opened the gate and exited the left wing. She recalled all the directions she took to get there and retraced her steps. It took a while, but she found herself back at the main gate. She stepped out of the automatically sliding doors and strolled to the train station.

She slid her card and the machine let her in. The subway was bustling as always, with all the people bumping into each other. She wondered if she'll ever bump into Kaito one of these days. She hasn't even seen him since the audition. She hated to admit it… but she did miss him. Even if she hardly knew squat about that man.

Miku stepped into her train back home. She was seated near the window, and she stared at the sunset. The sky was dyed a striking shade of orange, and the sea reflected that color. She had preferred sunrises over sunsets, though. From the darkness, the light rises to shower joy among the people. Miku wanted to be that kind of light. The light that overpowers the darkness. The light that inspires the people.

When Miku finally reached her apartment building, she noticed something strange. There was a person at her doorstep. It was a woman! She held a pink umbrella and wore a bunny-style parka. Why was she at her doorstep?

"Hey..." Miku alerted that person cautiously, "what are you doing here?" she asked, searching her backpack for the pepper spray.

"Don't you recognize me?"

The person spun on her heel, revealing her full form. Miku gasped, stepping backward. That voice…

"It's me!"

That hair… those pale blue eyes… No, it couldn't be… she's far away from here!

"Ia!" Ia's smile glistened like the backdrop of the sunset before her.

Miku toppled to the floor in shock. It was Ia; her best friend, her confidante. She was here in _her city. _

"No way…" Miku covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes were wide, voice clawing at her throat. Her heart was beating twice its normal rate, her mouth refusing to let any other words escape.

Ia bent down, squeezing Miku's face between her hands. "Snap out of it, Miku!" She giggled, playfully shaking Miku's head from side to side.

"It really _is _you," Miku said, reaching out to touch her friend's sleeve. She snickered. "you've gotten fat."

"Look who's talking!" Ia snapped. Soon, they were both laughing. They missed the sounds of each other's laughter in real life. After years of relying on video calls, they were finally here face to face. She stretched out her arms and tackled Miku for a hug.

"Let's get inside the apartment," Miku suggested after pulling Ia away from her, "you've got some explaining to do!"

-end of chapter 4-

**A/N: **I was actually nervous initially because I didn't know how to write Rin and Len, but I ended up having a lot of fun with them. I don't think I'll ever have the guts to give up on this story. See you guys on the next chapter! Feedback is always welcome, good or bad.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Vocaloid, nor do I own the songs Imagination Forest (composed by Jin) and glow (composed by keeno). I do, however, own the fictional musical, Winter Flowers and its equally fictional characters.

**Chapter 5**

Gakupo usually did not approve of cast members bringing outsiders inside the main theatre, but he was intrigued by the one who tagged along his teal-haired muse. She had a slender figure and very pale pink (almost white, prism-like to be exact.) She shared the same look of awe Miku did as she observed every nook and cranny of the theatre. She marveled at the stage like a couple would marvel at the perfect home. There was wonder in her eyes, and a sense of childlike innocence radiating from her aura. He _felt_ something from her, but he did not know what.

A familiar sharp fingernail tapped at his shoulder. When he lifted his head, he saw Luka, who nudged him to greet the two girls coming to him. He rose from his chair and straightened the lapels on his coat. He walked towards the girls with open arms, cheerfully greeting them with a hearty "Hello!"

Miku greeted him back and introduced him to her companion. "This is my best friend, Ia Hoshino." She gestured to the prism-haired girl beside her, "And these are the directors of the musical, Mr. Gakupo Kamui—" she motioned to Gakupo, "—and Miss Luka Megurine." She nodded at the beautiful pink-haired lady next to him.

"It's very nice to meet you both." She gave a courteous bow and beamed at them, showing off her array of pearly white teeth.

"The pleasure is all mine," Gakupo crooned, taking Ia's hand and pressed his lips unto them. Beet red and not knowing what to do, Ia turned to Miku for help. The teal haired girl grinned and gave a shrug.

Luka thought she ought to step in. She cleared her throat. "Gakupo, enough. You scared the girl."

Gakupo let go immediately after he was scolded by his partner. "I'm sorry for frightening you, miss."

"No, no, it's perfectly fine." She smiled, but took a step backward and positioned herself a few steps behind Miku. Funny, her actions said otherwise.

"Does she wish to witness our rehearsals?" Gakupo inquired. It would be a problem if an outsider leaked information about the musical to the newspapers.

"Yes, I do." Ia replied. Gakupo knit his eyebrows, his smile a few seconds before turned into a frown.

"S-she won't tell anyone!" Miku gripped Ia's hand and defended her friend. "I _know_ she won't."

"Unfortunately, we cannot assure that." Gakupo sighed and put one hand on his hip. Miku's grip on her friend's hand tightened. He looked for an alternative so as to not upset her teal-haired muse.

"I should get the twins," Luka suggested, "we can have them chaperone her around the building." She walked past the two girls and rushed to the door.

"The twins?" Ia asked her friend in a hushed tone.

"You'll see them later. I'm sure you'll love them." She patted Ia's hand, soothing her. Miku preferred to keep the "Left Wing Welcome" phenomena a surprise.

Luka soon returned with the twins at her side like bodyguards. Their aprons were tainted with paint and there was still a strip of tape on Rin's index finger. Len's bangs were combed back and held still by a headband, presumably by his sister's request. Rin was as sprightly as ever, and Len was still his smooth self as he strutted down the aisle.

"Miku!" Rin tackled her teal-haired friend to the ground with a suffocating glomp, startling Ia.

"Hey, you guys." Miku croaked. She was crushed under the debris that is Rin Kagamine. She slowly removed her hands from under Rin and gestured to Ia, "This is my best friend: Ia Hoshino, by the way."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Len Kagamine." Len flashed a small wave to the prism-haired girl standing behind Miku.

Len's blonde twin removed herself from her victim and introduced herself with a small salute, "Hey, Ia. I'm Rin Kagamine."

Ia gave a shy smile. "I'm pleased to meet you both."

"Now that we're all introduced," Gakupo split through the silence, "I'd like you two to bring Ia to the left wing to _amuse_ her." Gakupo emphasized "amuse" with suspicious eyes that made Ia feel quite nervous.

"Okay~" The twins said, both of them grabbing Ia's arms from one side. Rin grinned, holding onto Ia's arm tight.

"I promise," Miku gave a reassuring wink, "you'll love it there." Then, the twins blasted Ia off to possibly another one of their paintball assaults.

The twins were gone, the outsider was escorted outside, and the stage was set. And with that rehearsals commenced.

Gakupo sat down on his iconic director's seat and set his beloved megaphone on his lap. Luka was on her regular position as well: hand on the back of Gakupo's seat, standing beside him like a guardian.

"I'd like you to sing Phoebe's first solo song," The purple hair director commanded her, voice amplified by the megaphone. "I presume you memorized the song already?"

_Ah, about that…_ Miku wanted to say, but didn't have the courage to. She wasn't able to memorize the entirety of the song because of that left wing incident and because Ia stepped into the picture at a very unexpected time.

Instead, she fixed her expression and lied to her director's face, "Of course I did!"

The purple-haired director nodded and walked over the piano nearby. His fingers were placed gracefully above the keys. "Are you ready Miss Hatsune?"

"Yes, I am." Miku had her hands behind her back, her fingers rubbing against each other. Gakupo began playing the first bar; Miku never knew Gakupo could play the piano so eloquently.

Miku breathed in deep and braced the note on which she should enter.

"_Furisosoida tsumetai ame_… _Aoi kizu wo tokashitetta…" _As Miku began singing, Gakupo could sense unease in her voice. She was guessing the notes, and there was a slight delay on her lyrics. It wasn't the same confidence he heard during the audition.

"_Itsuka miteta yuugure sora no… Sumikko de warau dare ka ga ita…" So far, so good. _Miku thought, she could still remember the lyrics until the chorus. After the chorus, though…

The chorus came shortly after; Miku struggled to remember her lyrics.

"_Yuugure no namida ga tasou na aka…" _

"_Watashi no naka no kimi wo-"_ Miku stopped abruptly, unable to continue. _Oh, crap. What was next?_ She rummaged her bag for the script. Gakupo pressed a number of notes, a dissonant chord amplifying his annoyance and stopped playing.

"What happened?" Luka frowned, her eyebrows furrowed. She treaded over to Miku, who seemed to be searching her bag for the script.

"Miss Hatsune, don't tell me…" Gakupo's fingers were massaging his temple in irritation. "I told you to memorize the songs beforehand!" He scolded, bolting himself up from the bench.

"Yes, I did… and a lot of things got in the way…" Miku muttered, gripping at her script. _Crap. I screwed up bad._

"I hope you _realize_, Miss Hatsune," Luka's tone was harsher than usual, "that this little mistake can cause the removal of your position for the role." She crossed her arms; her eyes were staring directly into Miku's. It was then that Miku realized Luka was much more frightening than Gakupo. She just knew how to hide to well and had the patience of a monk.

Miku bowed her head. Holding the script, her hands were clasped behind her. She whispered, "I'm really, really sorry."

"But, of course, we will not do that." Gakupo told her, stealing a glance at Luka. He watched as Miku's eyes lit up again.

Luka smiled sweetly, completely reversing her expression from just a minute ago. She added, "Fortunately for you, Gakupo still believes that you can still do great things."

"Let's go over that again," the purple haired director paced back to the piano and opened the lid, "with the script this time."

xoxox

There were good and bad things that Miku displayed during the rehearsal. Luka was kind enough to point out the good things: As usual, Miku's voice was magnificent; she carried the tune with emotion with correct characterization. Gakupo politely told her the bad things: She needed to memorize her lyrics, and vocalize more.

Miku slipped her script back into her bag, and slung it over her shoulder. She was ready to leave, but Gakupo had an errand for her. He gave her a piece of paper and told her to go to a woman named "Meiko" in the costumes room. Miku surveyed the paper, expecting to find a map to the room.

"Uhm, may I ask?" Miku looked up after reading the contents of the piece of paper. "Where was the costume room again?"

And so, Luka and Miku headed for the costume room.

"I'm sorry you had to do this for me." Miku mumbled, scratching the side of her face with her fingernail.

"It's fine," Luka told her. Awkward silences seem to be common when it's just the two of them.

"So," Miku tried to spark a conversation, "there have been rumors saying that Gakupo likes you."

Luka looked at her with wide eyes, her face getting redder by the second. Miku stifled a giggle.

"W-well, t-that's hardly a rumor," Luka stuttered, her line of eyesight suddenly focused on the left side of the ceiling.

"But do _you_ like him?" Miku quickened her steps and stood in front of Luka, walking backwards. Her expression right now was of a cat's: curious and devious.

"I could ask you the same thing with Kaito." Luka rebutted in a split second, a smirk visible on her lips. Miku's ears were salmon pink, her lips visibly quivering to find the right words.

Miku held her hands up in defeat, "Fine, fine. You got me, Miss Megurine."

"Please, call me Luka." The pink-haired directress requested kindly.

"Alright," Miku nodded. She winked and raised her index finger, "call me Miku, then."

They had shortly arrived to the costume room. It was more spacious than any of the rooms in vicinity. And, not to her surprise, it was lively. Not as lively as the left wing, but the sort of lively you'd expect a factory to be. Mannequins were arranged in a straight line, incomplete fabrics of dresses pinned unto them. The workers were running around, spinning the different types of fabric around the mannequins while others were sewing diligently using the sewing machine.

"Is Meiko in here?" Luka asked, nearly shouting.

"Over here!" A voice seemed to say. The workers pointed to a shelf of rolled fabrics. The teal-haired actress ran to the shelf of fabrics, observing the intricate patterns on each of them. It took a while to find the end of the shelf, but they found a woman on top of a ladder struggling to get a red, satin roll of cloth.

"Meiko, you okay there?" Luka inquired to the person on the ladder, leaning on a bunch of well-arranged fabric.

"Luka, is that you?" The short-haired brunette woman replied with a question, "No, I'm not okay. Give me a hand here, will you?"

"Alright, I'll go look for another ladder." Luka said strutting off to find another ladder. Meiko stole a glance at Miku, who was still busy observing the blue velvet cloth that was clad in swirly, floral patterns.

"Hey there, missy," Meiko chirped, before jumping (JUMPING!) down the ladder. She held out her hand. "The name's Meiko, head costume designer and seamstress."

"Hi," Miku took the brunette's hand and shook it, "I'm Miku Hatsune. I'm pleased to meet you!"

"You're our Phoebe huh?" Meiko rubbed the bottom of her chin, eyeing Miku from head to toe. "Yes, yes! Our costumes would suit you nicely! Gakupo choose well."

"Aha…" Miku laughed awkwardly, yet her smile wasn't at all fake. "Thank you."

Luka returned with her own ladder, and with her help, Meiko finally got her hands on the red fabric she was so desperate to have. She said it was needed to add more layers of ruffles.

"So, what brings you here anyway?" Meiko asked, patting the dirt off her pants.

"Well, Director Gakupo asked me to bring you this…" Miku handed her the piece of paper Gakupo had given her earlier.

"What?!" Meiko exclaimed, startling the workers around her. "He didn't like Isabella's winter costume? But I thought it was a masterpiece!"

"Gakupo has other ideas, Meiko, please understand." Luka told her, patting her back. Slouching, Meiko gave out a tired sigh. Suddenly, there was a beep coming from Luka's pocket. She took out her cellphone and opened the alert.

"Sorry, guys," Luka apologized, both of her hands folded about her face, "Gakupo has another errand for me." The waved goodbye and left the costume department.

Miku looked around the costume department, her eyes wandering up and down, over and below. The sheer amount of fabrics fascinated her, and the fact that she was going to wear something of that level of intricacy made her feel flattered.

"I've got ideas," Meiko said, snapping Miku out of her trance, "Can you be a darling and give them to Gakupo for me?"

"Oh," Miku blinked, looking back at Meiko, "Yeah, sure."

"They're on my desk. Come on." Meiko led the teal-haired girl to her cluttered desk. There were designs of clothes on the desktop, ask well as bottles of sake. "I'm not an alcoholic, mind you." She winked, and put the bottles inside the trash bin beside the table.

She picked up a manila envelope with sheets of papers in inside. "Give these designs to Gakupo, will you?"

"Okay." Miku obeyed, taking the envelope. She spun on her heel and went for the exit. "See you later!" Miku waved goodbye to Meiko.

She shut the door behind her and tried to recall where the main theatre was. She didn't remember them going left or right, so she should assumed to go straight. As she was retracing her steps, she bumped into someone.

"Sorry! I wasn't looking and—" Well, it_ had_ to be the last person she expected. His blue eyes were gazing at her, those blue eyes that Miku had been thinking of for the past week.

"Hey there, Miss Hatsune!" Kaito grinned. Miku fumbled with her words. She gripped the envelope tightly, creasing the papers inside.

"Hey, there, Mr. Shion." Miku stammered, giving a timid wave.

"Please, call me Kaito." The blue-haired actor requested. "Where are you headed?" He asked her, bending down to meet her eyes.

"The main theatre," The teal-haired girl replied quickly, averting her eyes from those _attractive_ blue eyes. Agh! Her face was revealing too much! Eyes aside, Kaito's aura seemed… different… than during the audition. It exuded a more… lighthearted, carefree feeling. "And you?"

"I just came from there," Kaito informed her, standing straight. "I was about to go grab some ice cream from the cafeteria. Wanna come with me?"

"No thanks," Miku politely refused, "besides, we aren't supposed to be ingesting cold things, Kaito!" She said his name. _She unintentionally said his name. _She used it to scold him. _She scolded him!_ Miku's mind was in total disarray.

"I find ice cream quite soothing to my vocal chords," Kaito mused, his hand caressing his throat.

"Well, don't blame _me_ if you suddenly get hoarse on opening night." Miku told him, her edges of lips tugging a smile.

"Aww man, don't jinx me!" Kaito, in an exaggerated manner, made a dismayed expression and slouched. Then, he laughed. It almost made Miku swoon. His laugh was as melodic as his singing voice.

"I better go now," The teal-haired girl said, pointing to the route to the main theatre, wherever it was.

"Well, since I can't treat you to ice cream," Kaito put his hands inside his pockets, "have dinner with me."

Time stopped for Miku. Did she really hear that right? _Dinner. _With _Kaito._

"B-but if you don't want to it's perfectly fine!" He added, stuttering.

"I-I'd love to." Miku spoke in a hushed tone. She was mumbling her words, her eyes hidden behind her bangs.

"Great! I'll meet you at six… no, make that 7pm. We'll meet at the lobby." Kaito announced; his smile as wide as hers.

"Okay." She squeaked, barely able to contain her happiness. She waved goodbye to the blue-haired actor and skipped happily to the main theatre. She was about to open the door when she heard someone singing. Of course, there was nothing strange about hearing singing in a theatre, especially if the production was setting up a musical. But she heard a familiar voice…

"_Me o awasenaide!_" The singing continued on, she pressed her ear to the door.

"_Katamatta kokoro, hitoribocchi de akiramete_…" It sounded like… Ia! Miku opened the door, trying her hardest not to make any noise.

"_Me ni utsutta mono ni ando suru hibi wa…_" Ia was onstage, auditioning for Gakupo.

Miku had dearly missed the sound of Ia's voice and it had improved greatly over the years. Her tone was better, her voice was sweeter and she could hit the high notes without the slightest hint of strain. Without a doubt, Ia had evolved faster than her. Miku felt a small pang in her heart. She, who used to pride herself at being a better singer than her, was witnessing Ia confidently owning the stage in front of the directors.

She only saw Gakupo's back, but from the ease in his posture, she knew he was pleased. Who wouldn't be?

"_Monogatari no naka de shika shiranai, sekai ni sukoshi akogareru…_" The prism haired girl sang her heart out, snapping her fingers and tapping her feet to the rhythm. Despite being a fast song, Ia's diction was crystal clear.

"_Koto kurai yurushite kuremasu ka?_" Ia put one hand on her chest and another she raised up. She found herself skipping the beat of the song, despite having no accompaniment.

"_Nee nee, toppi na mirai o, souzou shite fukuramu sekai wa kyou ka ashita demo…" _She hit the high note perfectly, not losing volume, nor increasing volume. Her falsetto was more sublime than her head voice.

"_NOKKU shite kurenai desu ka?" _She finished her audition with a confident wink to the directors, who gave a hearty applause.

"Well, that was amazing," Luka remarked, "what do you say Gakupo?"

"I think," Gakupo began, a smile forming on his lips, "we _may_ have found our Isabella."

-end of chapter 5-

**A/N: **Ia is my babu, she's so cute. Also, I _might_ make a bonus chapter on Ia's stay at the left wing. Feedback is always the best, good or bad!


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Vocaloid in any way.

**Chapter 6**

The pink-haired directress heard a thump from the back of the theatre, like someone was folding up a seat. She turned around to see if there was anyone in vicinity. Hopefully, it was a cast member and _not_ an outsider. She didn't want to use her trusty black-peppered tuna to threaten anyone.

"Who's there?" Luka commanded, raising the goose bumps of the three people there.

"L-luka, it's just me!" Miku popped up from under the seat. Her hair was rustled, so she assumed Miku fell. The pink-haired directress sighed in relief, though the voices alerted Gakupo.

He bolted from his chair and turned to Miku. "Were you watching, Miss Hatsune?"

"Yes…" The teal-haired girl admitted, clutching the envelope to her chest, "I was told to hand you this," Miku held up the envelope, grinning, "so I wasn't _totally_ eavesdropping."

Luka walked over to her and asked, "Are those Meiko's new designs?" Miku nodded in reply. Luka took the envelope and grabbed Miku by the hand, dragging her to Gakupo. _I can walk by myself, Luka, _Miku deadpanned in her head.

"So what did you think of the prism-haired songbird's performance, Miss Hatsune?" Gakupo smiled, gesturing to Ia, who was on her way down the stage. Her face was flushed, and she looked a tad tired. Her clothes were splattered in paint and her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail. Clearly, the left wing inhabitants had their way with her.

"I thought she was wonderful," Miku said honestly, "she's grown a lot more confident since middle school."

"Thanks, Miku." Ia beamed, slumping down on a nearby audience seat.

Gakupo noticed Ia's tired expression and spoke, "I think that's enough for today."

"I agree." Luka gave Gakupo the envelope for him to survey. "You two run along home now, we'll deal with the designs ourselves."

"Alone." Gakupo added, winking. His pink-haired partner karate chopped his head. "That _hurt_, my pink-haired angel!" Soon, the two started bickering like children. Ia and Miku decided to leave the two to themselves. Besides, Miku had good news to tell her best friend.

xoxoxo

When they had finally arrived to Miku's apartment, Ia asked to use the shower. She smelled like paint and tinted water. Her own smell made herself grimace. She peeled of the articles of her clothing and stepped inside her teal-haired friend's shower and lifted the knob to let the water flow.

She let the hot water seep into her skin, breathing in the steam. She felt relaxed as droplets of water dotted her face and wet her hair. She squeezed the nearly empty bottle of shampoo, and lathered her hair with the scent of strawberry.

Miku paced around the living room, biting her thumbnail. "Ia, are you done yet?" She knocked on the bathroom door. "I've got something to tell you, so hurry up!"

Ia dried her hair using a towel and finally exited the bathroom. She wore a simple oversized shirt over boxer shorts. She saw the impatient Miku face-down on the bed.

"Miku, you okay?" She asked, walking towards the bed.

"You were too _slow_!" Miku let out an exasperated noise, her voice muffled by the pillows. Then, she was thrashing about the bed like a madwoman being subjected to electrocution. "I don't know what to do!"

"What do you mean?" Ia hung the towel on the clothes rack beside the bed. She searched the Miku's vanity for a big-toothed comb to smooth out the tangles in her hair. _I need to use more conditioner, _Ia thought.

Miku raised her head and spoke, "Kaito, the guy I told you about, he…" She started bouncing on the bed again then finally sat up, "_HE ASKED ME OUT." _She buried her face in her hands and began squealing like a banshee.

"Calm down!" Ia hit Miku's head with the comb to snap her back to normal, "You're acting a _lit_tle bit crazy." She took off the hair tie on one side of Miku's twin tails and began running the comb through her best friend's teal-haired locks. She had missed doing this with her, just relaxing and having a bit of girl talk.

"I don't know what to _do_, Ia." The teal-haired girl fumbled with her fingers. Her fingernails had been chewed short by her own nervousness. "I said okay, sure, I'll go."

"When will he pick you up?" The prism-haired girl removed the other hair tie and let the comb slide down Miku's hip-length hair.

"He won't. We'll meet at 7pm at the lobby." Miku responded, her fingers now playing with the hem of her skirt. She sensed Ia taking three locks of hair and intertwining them, braiding her hair into a ponytail.

_Left over right… _Ia thought, trying to make the braid as tight as possible. When Ia had finally processed Miku's response, she replied, "Great! We'll go shopping tomorrow."

"Shopping? But I already have so many—" Ia tugged at Miku's braid. "Ow!"

"I'd rather spend hours looking for the perfect clothes at a mall than at home." Her prism-haired friend said, finally finished with the braid. She picked up one hair tie she removed from Miku earlier and used it to seal the braid.

"…You've got a point there." Miku smiled and turned to Ia. She looked into her friend's eyes. They weren't the same cheerful eyes Ia had; they were her brooding eyes. "What's wrong, Ia?"

"Nothing, it's just..." She racked her brain for the right words, "if I play Isabella… that means I'm going to be Ethan's fiancé…and that means we're going to have a kissing scene…"

Well _that_ never crossed Miku's mind. She grabbed Ia's hands and squeezed them, "Don't _worry_, okay? What happens onstage stays onstage. I trust you not to steal him away from me."

Ia giggled. "Don't worry, he isn't my type anyway. I like intelligent men."

"Hot for teacher, huh?" Miku teased before receiving another bonk on the head with the comb.

"I won't feel comfortable kissing my best friend's boyfriend—"

"Wha-wha—BOYFRIEND?!"

"Okay. Boyfriend-to-be?"

"Stop that, Ia." Miku punched Ia on the shoulder gently, and yawned.

"We should sleep now," Ia remarked as she glanced at the wall clock. It was 11:30PM, and her jet lag was setting in.

"Yeah…" Miku agreed and fluffed her pillows. She pulled up the blankets as her teal-haired friend stood to turn off the lights. "Goodnight, Ia."

"Goodnight, Miku." She mewled, shortly snoozing off to a good night's sleep.

xoxoxo

_NYANYANYANYANYANYANYANYA!_

The teal-haired girl bolted from the bed, searching for the cellphone that made the sudden noise. Miku reached for her phone on the other side of the futon, stirring Ia awake.

The prism-haired girl groaned, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

Miku pressed a button on her cellphone to turn it on. Her eyes were alarmed by the sudden light which attacked her retinas. She stared at the screen for a moment, squinting. "It's… 8:00AM."

"What time does the mall open?" Ia mumbled, half-awake.

"9:00AM," Miku replied, flopping back to her fluffy pillow.

Ia jumped off the bed rushed to switch on all of the lights. She stripped the blankets off the bed and pulled away Miku's pillow.

"What the _heck_, Ia?" Miku growled, tugging at the blanket which her prism-haired friend was determined not to give back.

"Wake _up_!" she gripped Miku's wrists and proceeded to pull her slowly off the bed, "we need to get ready!"

She kicked Ia's hands away. "Okay, okay, I'm up!"

"Get dressed; we're going to the mall in an hour." The prism-haired girl hurried to the bathroom and slammed the door.

Miku sought her brush and sat in front of her vanity mirror. She noticed her hair was still braided, and proceeded to unbraid it. She raked her hands through her long tresses and noticed how it had become slightly wavy. _I need to thank Ia for that, _she thought. She decided to keep it that way, tangles and all. She parted her hair from the back and tied it in low twin tails.

She dressed herself with the first clothes she saw at the front of her closet: galaxy leggings, and a long pink top with fringes at the bottom. She thought to add a pink headband with a mini ribbon at the side, and slid on her lucky Dr. Martens. And so, she waited for her friend to exit the bathroom.

"Ia," She knocked on the door once, "get dressed."

"Wait." The girl responded.

Miku knocked twice. "I need to wash my face, you freeloader!"

"_WAIT!" _She complained from the other side of the wooden frame.

"I'll kick the door open," The teal-haired girl bluffed, lightly bumping the door with her foot, "You aren't naked, are you?"

Silence.

"Fiiiineeeeee," Ia groaned, defeated, "just try not to scream." Miku heard a _click!_ And let herself inside the bathroom.

As she entered, her eyes were widened in shock and… hysteria?

"Oh my _god_," Miku tried to stifle a giggle, ignoring Ia's pissed off expression, "what _is _that on your face?"

Her best friend's face was covered in a moss green facial mask that looked like slime pasted onto her face. She looked like the swamp monster Miku used to see in her nightmares as a child but instead of feeling terrified, she could barely hold her laughter.

"Laugh all you want," Ia said, splashing a handful of tap water twice onto her face to rinse off the mask. She slid the nearby face towel off the rack and proceeded to wipe the residue off. She smirked, "my skin is now ten times smoother than yours."

"Well," Miku reached out to touch her friend's cheek, "that's true."

Her best friend's complexion was already healthier than Miku's but the mask made her skin glow. Too bad she'll never be caught dead trying it though; it looked icky, like a kid trying to convince you that a mud makeover can make you twinkle like a pixie.

"I'll go change now," she stated, bringing her toothbrush and beauty products with her.

"Okay, you go do that." Miku grinned and proceeded to brush her teeth in front of the foggy mirror. She tried not to compare her clean teeth to Ia's pearly ones, and she tried not to think of how tolerable she actually looked even with the goo on her face. She was a schoolgirl next to Ia's model-like looks, but then who bagged the main role? _Miku Hatsune did._

When she exited the bathroom, she saw Ia donning a black jumper with a beaded heart in the middle that hung off the shoulder paired with hot pink shorts.

"You ready to go?" She smiled brightly, grabbing her handbag. Miku nodded, taking hers as well.

"Yep, I am!" Miku replied, spinning the apartment keys on her index finger.

They headed for the door and Miku was the one tasked to lock it tight. She spoke, "I sure hope you have the funds for this."

"Don't worry~" Ia responded, "We'll make sure to check out the dresses on sale first."

And so, they left for the mall.

xoxoxo

The two young women found themselves in a newly opened boutique called "World's End Boutique" because they were informed by the trustworthy Mr. Internet that the prices of the items were affordable and high-quality. It was run by a peculiar red-haired lady named Teto Kasane and her brother, Ted.

"No," Ia shook her head at the plaid dress Miku held up, "too tacky. Is plaid still even a thing?"

Miku browsed through the clothes rack, picking up a dress once in a while then placing it back on the rack again. A strapless red dress? No. A silver dress that literally twinkled? _NO thank you._

"Do you need some help, ma'am?" said a young saleslady with crimson drill-tails.

"My friend here has a date later and we're looking for the perfect outfit." Ia explained, putting her hand on Miku's shoulder.

The young saleslady observed Miku from head to toe, even staring deeply into her eyes. She suddenly exclaimed "I know!" and scrambled to the storage room of the boutique. Miku and I watched as she returned with two dresses in hand: on her right, a little black dress with a teal ribbon adorning the back; or two, a white blouse paired with a blue, high-waist flared skirt.

"I don't know what to pick…" Miku stammered, eyes going left, then right and back again.

"Well, what kind of guy is he?" The drill-tailed saleslady asked, letting both outfits sling over her right arm.

"He's…" Honestly, Miku didn't know much about Kaito, "friendly… and an oddball sometimes."

"What does he like?" The saleslady responded.

Miku giggled as she was reminded of their little banter yesterday. "He has an affinity for ice cream."

"With that description," Ia spoke, "I think you're better off with the skirt and blouse combo. We need to pair that up with a belt and some flats."

"I have to agree," The redhead nodded, setting the little black dress atop a rack of clothes. She handed the outfit over to Miku with a bright smile on her face. "I think I know the perfect accessories for that." She took a thin brown belt from where the belts were hung and a pair of brown flats from the shoe shelf.

"Oh, this is just perfect," Miku sighed, her eyes twinkling. With much enthusiasm, she exclaimed, "I'll take them!"

"How much is all this anyway?" Ia spotted a small price tag attached to the tag of the dress and immediately dropped it. She leaned over to her friend and whispered, "Miku, I hope you can just swipe this off because the prices are _killer_."

The redheaded saleslady smiled sweetly, "Don't worry! First time buyers are given a 30% discount! And since this store just newly opened, _EVERYONE_ gets a discount!"

The two girls were startled by the saleslady's eagerness. Miku decided to ask, "What's your name, Miss?"

"I'm Teto Kasane. You might have heard of me." She informed them, giving a bow.

"So you own this place, huh?" The prism haired girl marveled at the creativity of how the clothes were arranged, "Where are your employees?"

"We haven't gotten around hiring anyone, so me and my brother switch places." Teto told them, showing the girls a picture of her older brother on her cellphone. He had the same crimson hair color, but tied into a long ponytail. "I know he's handsome, but don't get any ideas!" She giggled, putting her phone back into her pocket.

"I'll take them!" Miku announced, giving the load of clothes to Teto, who carefully led them to the cashier. The redhead input the items on the computer and waited as the computer calculated their total expenses.

"That'll be 7,000 Notes," The redhead told them, "Apply the 30% discount and… 2,000 Notes in total." She opened her hand to receive cash or card. Miku reached for her wallet and gave the exact amount to the store owner.

"Thank you for your business!" Teto beamed brightly, folding the items and placing them in a brown paper bag. "Please visit us again." She said, and bade the two girls goodbye as they exited the store, satisfied.

xoxoxo

Ia glided the red stick on Miku's upper and lower lip, making Miku look a little bit more mature than she should.

Miku shook her head. "Don't you think red lipstick is a little bit too… bold?" Miku asked, wiping the red color off her lips with a ball of cotton.

"I agree," Ia took the cotton ball and tossed it to the trash bin.

"Just a little bit of makeup, then?" The teal-haired girl suggested, revealing a small bottle of lip tint and a compact press powder. She applied a dash of lip tint and patted her face with the powder.

Miku buttoned up her blouse and inserted the belt into the slots of the skirt. Her hair was fixed in an intricate French up-do clipped by a blue ribbon patterned with white polka dots. The teal-haired girl stared at herself in the mirror. She looked presentable, that's for sure. Miku glanced at the wall clock which simply ticked away.

"Don't you think you should be going?" Ia said, holding the two doll shoes between her fingers.

Miku slipped on the pair of flats and scurried for her clutch. "Bye, Ia!"

"Be careful, okay?" Ia waved goodbye to her friend. "Good luck!"

xoxoxo

Miku found herself alone in the lobby, not including the receptionist who didn't even take time to glance at her. By this time, most of the people had gone home and only the executives are bothered to ever stay at this time. She wondered why Kaito asked to meet her at such a late time.

She crossed her legs, and leaned back on the leather seats. She looked up at the ceiling which had a huge stalagmite chandelier glowing bright yellow. The speakers played a soothing instrumental song that seemed to be Celtic from the arrangement. Miku sighed and checked her phone: "7:01PM."

"Hey, Miss Hatsune."

The teal-haired actress was startled by the sudden figure that blocked her vision of the chandelier. It was her blue-haired knight in… a turtleneck sweater and white pants. Miku disliked wearing turtlenecks because they make her feel needlessly hot, but for some bizarre reason Kaito's testosterones could carry the turtleneck as if it was an expensive suit.

"Flowers for you." With a wide grin, Kaito revealed one red tulip which he placed on her ear.

"Thanks," her face was tinted pink. She brushed her finger on the flower and smiled gratefully.

"Let's go then?" Kaito suggested, bending his arm for her to latch on to. Miku's face was pink as she slid her arm into his as they walked out of the lobby. She felt awkward hanging onto him like that so she shortly removed her arm from his. He noticed her unease and decided to spark a conversation.

"You look great," Kaito remarked after he cleared his throat awkwardly, "those are my favorite colors."

_Wow, who would've thought? That Teto is a psychic. _"I-I'm glad you like it." Miku responded, placing a stray strand of teal hair behind her ear. A wave of awkward silence overcame the two as they walked past many stores.

"You know what," Kaito broke the silence as they stopped in their tracks, "let's go to an ice cream parlor." He grinned at her, and took her by the wrist. "I know a _great_ place!"

He was essentially _dragging _her to the ice cream shop. Thank goodness she wore flats. She tried to catch up with his speed so that her arm won't detach due to how fast the man was running. Soon, she was running alongside him. She nodded at him and prodded him to lead her to the ice cream place.

Out of breath, they finally reach the place called "World's End Gelato." Wait… that sounded a bit familiar…

"Welcome, sir and ma'am," the redheaded waitress gave a respectful bow. Miku noticed how she looked so much like…

"Teto?!" Miku exclaimed; her eyebrows high and her eyes wide.

"Hey, it's the customer from early today!" Teto smiled. She turned to look at the man the teal-haired girl brought in, "I _knew _she was going on a date with you, Mr. Kaito." Kaito winked at the redhead before she led them to their seats. She gave them each a menu and to call her if they had decided.

"I've tried everything in this menu," Kaito boasted proudly, his thumb pressed to his chest, "but I think this one," he pointed to 5 scoops of different flavored gelato arranged on a tall heart-shaped container, "you'll really like."

"It's your call," Miku replied, setting down the menu. She tapped her fingers rhythmically on the table.

Kaito snapped his fingers and signaled for a waitress. Teto came rushing towards them, notepad in hand.

"We'll have the 5-scoop special," Kaito pointed to the item on the menu.

Teto jotted it down on her hand dandy notepad, "Great choice, sir. And for the missus?" She teased.

It was immediately followed by, "She's not my—"simultaneously with "I'm not his—"

The giggling redhead held up her hands and gestured them to calm down, "Relax, I'll be back with your order in five minutes." With a bow, she went to the counter.

They both gazed at the table as they tried to make the reddish tone on the faces disappear. Kaito scratched at the side of his face while Miku took off the tulip from her hair and observed it. What did red tulips mean again? She tried racking her brain for the answer, but when she saw her blue-haired knight staring at her… let's just say that her brain had a temporary shutdown.

"Are you okay?" Kaito asked, tapping on Miku's forehead. When the teal-haired girl realized that Kaito was making skin contact with her, she backed away, flustered. "Phew, I thought I'd lost you there!" He let out a goofy grin and sat back on his seat.

"You're beet red, Miku Hatsune." He leaned on his right arm, watching her trying to wipe the embarrassed look on her face.

_How can I, with you looking at me like that! _Miku retorted mentally. "T-the ice cream is taking awfully long, huh…"

"It's just been three minutes," Kaito glanced at his wristwatch, "and Teto said she'd be back in five."

"Like when you arrived a 7:01." Miku grinned, sticking her tongue out briefly.

"Oh, ha ha." Kaito replied sarcastically, before he spotted the drill-tailed waitress carrying the 5-scoop special on a tray.

"Here you go." Teto set the heart-shaped container onto the table, along with the bill. Kaito placed the amount on the check plate. "Please enjoy!" She gave them a sweet smile and returned to her post at the entrance.

The 5-scoop special was indeed a unique one. There were five different scoops of gelato in different flavors. Namely: strawberry, pistachio, chocolate, vanilla and mint, and smothered in chocolate syrup. Miku wondered if Kaito orders this item when he's alone as well. It's a bit… _much_ for one person but knowing Kaito and his affinity for ice cream…

"Ladies first!" Kaito gave Miku a long spoon, and ushered her to take the first bite. The teal-haired girl took small scoops of every flavor with the spoon and devoured it in one mouthful.

"How does it taste?" Kaito asked, his eyes twinkling. Miku gave an approving thumbs-up. Kaito smiled and made a big dent on the pistachio portion of the ice cream soon after.

"This tastes _awesome_," The teal-haired actress remarked, feeding herself to a spoonful of vanilla. She didn't think there would be such a huge difference in the _experience _of eating ice cream and gelato. Gelato was like the lovechild of ice cream and yoghurt.

"We better eat it fast or it'll melt." The blue-haired actor dipped his spoon and extracted a part of the chocolate scoop, consuming it just as quickly.

"You know, it's funny," Miku said, nibbling at her spoon, "you said you'd treat me to _dinner_."

"Desert is always more fun." Kaito winked as he went for the mint-flavored gelato.

They had a mini-battle on who will have the final bite; with Kaito in the lead as he blocked Miku's every attempt at scooping something up. Only the almost-melted vanilla flavor was left, and the last person to get the scoop is the winner. They hadn't decided what the prize was yet, though.

"Ah, ah! No you don't!" Miku's spoon clashed with Kaito's. She decided to play dirty and flick away his spoon with her fingers. She took a big portion of the vanilla gelato and quickly put it inside her mouth. Before Kaito could get a scoop, the gelato melted away.

"I win!" The teal-haired girl happily thrust her fist in the air while Kaito slammed his head on the table.

"That, you did." Kaito rubbed his head with his fingers, "what's the prize, anyway?"

"Well, I guess you just owe me something." Miku grinned. She placed her shoulders on the table and leaned on her palms.

"I can deal with that," He smiled, holding his hand out for a handshake. "That was a great battle, Miss Hatsune."

She shook his hand, insides shivering at his rough palms. "Please, call me Miku."

"Alright… Miku." He still hadn't let go of her hand, "please let me escort you home. My car is just at the Vocaloid-P building."

"But I—"

"I insist. I want to make sure you get home safe." He set both of their hands down, his hand atop hers. His sapphire eyes were staring into her opal ones. Miku glanced at her hands; it made the butterflies in her stomach flutter can such a man make her heart beat so fast?

"Okay," she conceded, averting her eyes. Kaito smiled, and they prepared to leave the shop. He gestured at her to cling onto his arm. She gave in, and slid her arm around his. She picked out a loose thread of wool from his sweater.

They walked like this to the building, with Miku hanging onto Kaito. He didn't mind it at all. Her whole face was pink, but she shied away from his eyes. God, why won't her heartbeat slow down?

They had finally reached Kaito's car, which was a small car, nothing truly special about it. It was squeaky clean; perhaps he had it cleaned for the date? It smelled like pine cones inside, and had an empty cup coffee sitting on the cup holder. It was quaint, which was exactly what Miku liked.

On the ride home, they were both quiet. Kaito turned on the radio halfway and for some twist of fate the DJ was playing old love songs. Miku stared out the window, admiring the stars in the sky. He would hum along to the song on the radio, and she would join in.

"We're here." Kaito said, stopping in front of Miku's apartment building. "Do you want me to—"

"N-no, you've done enough."

Miku didn't exit the car yet. She didn't know why, but her body just _wouldn't _move. She wasn't waiting for anything, and the apartment building was guarded so she shouldn't be scared of muggers. So why wasn't she getting out of the car?

At that moment, Kaito interlaced his fingers with Miku's. He still had not turned off the radio; it was playing a lilting song about first love. Feeling Kaito's fingers between hers made the butterflies multiply and flutter even _faster_. He was gazing at her again, those beautiful sapphire eyes meeting at hers.

He leaned forward and brushed her fringe back. She inhaled, bracing whatever comes next. Her heart was beating like a bass drum; it felt like it would explode. He planted a delicate kiss on her forehead. Miku gasped, her eyes widening. He lingered there for a moment, until he let go. With a kind smile, he opened the car door for her.

"T-thanks for the ride," Miku said, still stunned from what happened just a few seconds ago. She shut the door gently.

"You're welcome."

He drove off, leaving Miku to walk like a zombie towards her apartment. She pressed the door alarm once.

"You're here!" Ia exclaimed, pulling her inside. She was wearing her pajamas with star patterns on them. "Tell me _everything._"

Miku fumbled with her words, mumbling nonsensical gibberish.

"Speak like a _human_, Miku Hatsune."

"Oh _GOD_!" Miku plopped face-first onto the bed, squealing into the pillows.

-end of chapter 6-

**A/N: **Whoo! Did that take long? I kinda lost motivation in the past week, but now I'm alright. Special thanks to my dear friend, **vongore**. _Wow, _this is the longest chapter I've written yet! 4.5K WORDS! (notes excluded) Again, feedback is love. [Mini rant: I don't wanna come off as a review whore, but it makes the author very unhappy to see so many readers (whom I am truly grateful for) but only such a few who show appreciation. I would love to see a simple review.] Till then~


	8. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own VOCALOID or the characters used in this fanfiction.

**Chapter 7**

Ia pulled off two inches of dental floss from the roll and proceeded to thoroughly clean the in-betweens of her teeth. A jingle from her cellphone interrupted her flossing. She removed the floss and tossed it in the trash bin. The phone rang thrice before she picked it up.

"Hello?" Ia said.

"Miss Hoshino? This is Luka Megurine." The person on the other side of the phone replied.

Ia nearly toppled the glass that contained the toothbrushes. "Y-yes, Miss Megurine?"

"Gakupo and I wish to meet with you later at 11:30AM at the main theatre."

She glanced at the time on her cellphone; it was nine. "O-okay, I'll get ready."

"See you there, Miss Hoshino." And Luka ended the call there.

Ia stumbled outside the bathroom, confused and curious. Was this about her role? Did she get the role of Isabella Smith? In her impatience, she shook her snoozing best friend awake. She was still fast asleep. They had talked all night about Miku's little adventure with Kaito and now she's sleeping like a baby.

"MIKU!" Ia exclaimed. She used her own pillow and slammed it on her best friend's legs. "MIIIIIKUUUUU!"

Miku stirred awake, accidentally (or intentionally?) kicking Ia in the stomach. "What, is there a fire?" She said, yawning.

"I got a call from Miss Megurine." Ia informed her, holding up her cellphone.

"Why didn't you say so?!" Miku threw back her blankets and grabbed Ia's phone. "What did she say?"

"She told me to meet her and Gakupo at the main theatre at 11:30." Ia said, taking back her phone.

Miku glanced at the wall clock; they had approximately one hour and thirty minutes to get ready. She told Ia to get dressed while she entered the bathroom to attend to her personal hygiene. She quickly brushed her teeth and gargled on some mint-flavored mouth wash. She splashed a handful of water on her face before rinsing it off with a face towel.

She went out of the bathroom and rummaged her closet for weather-appropriate clothes. The directors weren't asking for _her_ anyway, so what's the point in dressing up in-character. She stole a glimpse of Ia, who was wearing a casual knee-length dress laced at the neckline. _Way to take the initiative! _She thought. Miku just made herself comfortable with a simple shirt and jeans outfit accented with a parka coat.

"You ready?" Miku asked, spinning the key on her index finger.

"Yeah, I'm—" Their tummies grumbled in unison.

Miku giggled. "Let's go grab some breakfast at the station first."

xoxoxo

There was nothing more annoying to Luka Megurine than unpunctuality. Of course, it would be an exaggeration if she would get mad at someone being a minute late, but every second she spends alone with Gakupo drives her mad. He would constantly try to flirt with her, or stare at her when she's studying the script. It's been this way since they were young. She wondered why he doesn't just ask her out or god forbid, tell her he loves her. Perhaps he's just toying with her? She has never bothered to ask.

It was 11:25. She told Ia to come at 11:30, so she was not yet late. She wanted to make up an excuse to exit the theatre, but she had already eaten breakfast; and Gakupo as well, so she couldn't use the old "I'm going to go get breakfast" excuse. She observed her nails, which she had manicured recently. She had them painted purple, had he noticed that? He'd always been keen on her eyes or any part of her face, not her hands, anyway. He sat cross-legged on his director's seat, studying the script.

"Please stop staring at me, Miss Megurine." He smirked, setting down what he was reading.

She scoffed, turning her head away. "I'm not." She flicked a speck of dirt from her fingernails using her thumb.

He went back to reading as he opened the book halfway. "I like the color of your nails, by the way."

So he _did _notice. Luka tried to hide the faint pink tint on her cheeks by fake-texting.

"Sorry, we're late!"

The doors to the main theatre creaked as it opened, revealing Ia and Miku. They were carrying hotdog buns squiggled with mustard and ketchup. Ia seemed to have a little bit of ketchup on the edge of her lips as well.

"Miss Hoshino, Miss Hatsune." Gakupo walked towards the two girls, smiling brightly. "I admire your punctuality."

Luka searched her purse for the wax-sealed letter. She held it between her two fingers and gave it to the anticipating Ia. "For you, Miss Hoshino."

Ia ripped the envelope open, breaking the wax seal. She pulled out the letter in her excitement and unfolded it. It read:

Congratulations, **Miss Ia Hoshino**.

You have landed the role of _**Isabella Smith**_ for the musical _**Winter Sunflowers**_ by the _Vocal Android Productions_.

The prism-haired girl gasped. She emitted the sound of a boiling kettle and bounced up and down like a rabbit. She trapped all of the people in the room with a tight bear hug. When she let go, she stuffed her letter in her handbag.

"Well, Miku," she spoke, slinging her arm around her friend's shoulder with the happiest grin, "seems like I _will_ be kissing your boyfriend."

"First of all, he's not my boyfriend," Miku said, a smirk sneaking on her lips, "and second of all, CONGRATULATIONS!" She snipped a portion of Ia's hotdog and fed it to her.

"Am I hearing this, Miss Hatsune?" Gakupo interrupted the happy scene, "are you and Kaito… involved?"

"N-no, not yet!" Miku stammered, wiping off the smudge of mustard on her upper lip.

"They _did_ have a date last night." Ia interjected, sinking her teeth into the snack they bought.

Luka's eyes widened, "_Did_ you?" By some coincidence, she and Gakupo turned to each other at the same time. Their eyes looked concerned, but they quickly wiped the expressions off their faces.

"I encouraged them to build chemistry after all." Gakupo said, replying for his speechless teal-haired muse.

The hall was filled in silence, except for the sound of teeth chewing processed meat.

The doors opened, as two female voices were heard chatting as they entered. They were Gumi and Rin, who decided to stop by the main theatre. They were conversing about the wonders of having a healthy lifestyle, and their love for orange delicacies.

"Hey, Ia and Miku are here too!" Rin said, running towards the two girls. She tackled them both to the ground.

"We missed you too, Rin," Ia croaked, struggling to breathe under the weight of their assaulter. The blonde removed herself from the pair, brushing off the dust from her jeans.

"I believe we haven't met, Miss Hoshino." Gumi held both her arms out to help the girls stand, "I'm Gumi Kamui, by the way." The green-haired girl heaved them both to their feet.

"Thanks," Ia said, smoothening the creases from her dress, "Nice to meet you."

"What brings you two here?" Luka asked, approaching the girls.

"Nothing," Gumi admitted, "I wanted ask Gakupo if we could go to the mall."

Gakupo raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

"Well, there's this movie we want to watch and they say it's the biggest movie of the year…" Gumi rambled on and on, praising the movie as if she'd already seen it.

"But why today?" The director asked.

"I won three VIP tickets, while Gumi won four," Rin explained, revealing the tickets. "It was from this raffle thingy, and it's only valid for today."

The four other people in the room surveyed the tickets. It was a movie about two star crossed lovers _IN SPACE!_ The movie definitely seemed interesting, what with the cast being well-known and the story being adapted from a critically acclaimed novel.

Gakupo sighed. He wanted to take Ia on those ceremonial brunches he held whenever someone got a role, but Gumi beat him to the punch. "Who will you take with you?"

"We thought to bring along Miku, Ia, Meiko and Luka, too, if she wants come." Rin grinned, linking arms with the first two girls she mentioned.

Luka smiled. "Sure, I'll go."

"We'll go too!" Miku raised her hand. "I've always liked that actor."

"That settles it then! We'll go together." Gumi said cheerfully.

_Of course. It's perfectly fine to leave _me_ alone. _Gakupo sulked mentally. "You go ahead then," muttered under his breath. The girls were too engrossed in their conversation to hear him.

"Have you seen his other movie?" Gumi asked.

"Which one? The one about zombies or the one about vampires?" Miku replied.

"I've seen both!" Rin said.

"I liked the vampire movie better," Luka remarked.

"Really? I found that movie a total bore." Ia responded.

_Aren't they leaving yet? _Gakupo thought bitterly, leaning back into the director's seat.

"Heyyaaa," A familiar brunette burst inside the theatre. The girls abruptly stopped their conversation about whether they found the main actor more handsome in his teens or his 30s, and turned to where the voice came from.

"Meiko's here!" Rin ran towards Meiko, who raised both her hands up as if to say 'It's okay, it's okay. I can do without the killer glomps.'

"W-wait," Gakupo said, "if everyone is going to the mall, who'll watch over the building?"

"Isn't that what you're here for, Gakupo?" Gumi replied.

"You're leaving me here?!" the purple-haired director cried, "can't I go with you?"

"It's a girls' day out, Gakupo," Luka tried to reason, but it would be rude to leave their _director_ all by himself. He was already sulking in his seat, muttering inaudible things to the script.

"Fiiiineee." Gumi sighed, "You can come. It would be a waste to not use this extra ticket." Gakupo's eyes lit up. "BUT! You have to go after we watch the movie, okay?"

"Of course! What kind of gentleman would I be if I imposed on you girls even more?" Gakupo slid the script back into his bag before flashing a wide grin at the girls.

"Hmm… since you're going to come with us," Rin spoke, battering her eyelashes, "can you please call your driver?"

xoxoxo

When they had arrived at the cinema, a lot of people were lining up to see the movie. Mostly teenagers took up the queue, along with their mothers. The people who went out the theatre were either puffy from crying or happily chatting about how great the movie was. This got them all excited and gave them high expectations.

The gang walked up to the security guard and showed him their VIP tickets. The guard tipped his hat at them and gestured to a camouflaged staircase leading up the VIP room. The stairway was dark, and the only illumination they had to guide them were the little patches of light at the edges of each step. One of them, perhaps Miku or Gumi, it was hard to distinguish their hair colors in the dark, even stumbled face first, and created a domino effect. Luka used the flashlight of her phone to light the way after that fiasco.

"Hurry, the movie's about to start!" Rin said in a hushed, yet panicked, tone. She outran them and barged into the VIP room. She gasped at the sight.

It was a quaint room, no bigger than the stage at the main theatre. The place was designed like those private karaoke rooms, except much more luxurious. There was a row of adjustable seven leather seats with footrests and a mini bar at the left side of the room. Meiko was pleased. There was also a popcorn machine at the other side of the room.

"I feel like we landed a goldmine with this, Rin," Gumi remarked, making herself comfortable at the centermost seat.

"I know right," the blonde agreed, pulling the lever to fill her popcorn box. After feeling satisfied with the amount of popcorn, she sat beside Gumi.

"Let's have a seat, everyone." Miku told them, sitting at the leftmost seat. She patted her hand on the seat beside her, signaling Ia to sit there.

Meiko took a can of beer from the mini bar, and sat beside Ia. Luka and Gakupo, who were the last ones to arrive, naturally, sat beside each other.

"Ssshh. The movie's starting." Ia said, extending her arm to take a handful of popcorn from Rin's box.

Rin lightly slapped her hand. "Get your own!" The prism-haired girl pouted and turned her attention the movie.

The opening credits started with an orchestral _BOOM!_ and startled them; they thought the sound would be softer since they were far from the speakers, but the sound surrounded them, adding to the experience.

The lead actor recited the first lines, and the girls (except for Luka) squealed in unison, scaring Gakupo.

xoxoxo

The words "The End" flashed at the screen. Let's just say the reactions of the inhabitants of the VIP room were mixed.

"G-gumi, d-d-do you have tissues?" Rin whimpered, wiping her tears with her sleeve.

"N-no, s-sorry," Gumi spoke between gasps.

"T-the last part killed me," the blonde said, "the way he died in her place!"

"I know right!" The green-haired girl nodded. Then, they sobbed in each other's arms.

"I have to say," Luka handed over her small pack of tissues over to the crying girls, "I was disappointed."

"Same here," Ia shrugged. "But the experience was at least good. VIP rooms rock!"

"I thought it was good!" Miku argued.

"You fell asleep halfway," her best friend retorted.

Gakupo found the effects tacky and the acting sub-par, but liked the romance aspect. He commented on how the actor's age was catching up to him. The younger girls defended the actor immediately, as if the purple-haired man had insulted a puppy. Unlike Miku, Meiko fell asleep ten minutes in, thanks to the mini-bar.

"Gakupo," Gumi spoke, her voice still shaky, "did you forget our…"

"Yeah, I'll go in a bit." Gakupo smiled kindly, "thanks for taking me here."

"It's no problem," Rin said with a grin. Her eyes were still puffy from crying so much. Len would probably give her an earful later, but for going without him. It wasn't _her_ fault he got sick today.

"I'll need your help carrying Meiko, though," Luka said, poking the brunette's cheek, "don't go until then."

"But of course!" The purple-haired director beamed, "anything for you." He finished his sentence with a wink. They all groaned in response.

"Where are we all going after this?" Gumi asked, standing from her leather seat.

"Well, I _am_ kinda hungry." Ia rubbed her tummy. Rin did _not_ give her any popcorn, nor did Ia want to divert her attention from the screen to stand and get some of her own.

"_Hello Planet, _then?" Gumi suggested, "it's a vegetarian restaurant, and the food there is heavenly."

"Sounds good to me," Miku nodded, plopping off the seat. She stretched her arms and emitted an unladylike yawn.

"We'll meet you there," Luka told them as she slung Meiko's arm over her shoulder for support; Gakupo helped her balance the sleeping woman.

xoxoxo

Luka and Gakupo walked silently with Meiko supported between them, justified in that the brunette's weight made any effort to speak up quite difficult. Out of breath, they carried Meiko to the garden outside the mall, where they decided to rest for a few minutes. The people staying in the garden stared at them like they'd seen an alien hugging a bear. They laid the snoozing brunette on the bench in front of theirs.

"Whose bright idea was it to put a minibar in a theatre anyway?" Luka said, wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. Gakupo chuckled, his laugh sounded childlike and soothing. He offered her his handkerchief. The pinkette politely turned it down.

"Wait," Gakupo said, "isn't that Kaito?" His attention was suddenly drawn to a person from a distance, who had striking blue hair and was happily holding a cone of ice cream on one hand.

The pink-haired woman treaded forward to get a better look. "No mistake," she said, "you think we should tell Miku?"

"Don't," Gakupo replied, "he's with someone." He raised his eyebrow at the last word, as if relaying a secret code.

"But _Miku_'s here," Luka said, "I _told_ you not to hold the news for too long." She paced around the aisle, her finger on her chin. The purple-haired director frowned, and tried to conjure a plan.

"I'll take Meiko home immediately," Gakupo offered, carrying the sleeping woman on his back, "please, just console my teal-haired muse if she ever encounters him."

Luka snorted. "I won't let that happen," she assured him. She told Gakupo to go ahead with a nod.

"Thank you," said Gakupo, who gave a smile, "take care, my pink-haired angel." He left, shifting Meiko so she would hang snugly.

Luka sat back on the chair and stared at the sky. She breathed in the fresh air, watching the birds as they flew by. She needed to keep an eye on Miku and make sure she and Kaito will _not_ see each other.

xoxoxo

"Hmm… so Miku likes leeks huh?" Rin said, stabbing her fork into her salad bowl. The sauce added a special flavor to the salad, so the blonde made sure to mix in a lot of that.

"When we were kids, Miku used to spin them around like a baton," Ia reminisced. She helped herself to a small slice of apple pie.

"I don't remember doing that!" The tealette retorted as she chewed on a piece of leek.

The girls bonded on their favorite meals. Gumi liked carrots, and Ia didn't have a particular favorite. She just liked to eat what was on her table. Rin _loved _oranges; she even told them her room's wall color is tangerine. Luka soon arrived at the restaurant, giving them a wave. Oops. They had forgotten to order for her. The girls tried to act naturally and wave back.

"Hey," the directress said, laying her hands on the table, "Rin, Gumi, I need to talk to you."

"Why?" Rin spoke, the vegetables in her mouth muffling her.

"_Because_," Luka said sternly, making Rin and Gumi come into attention, "it's important."

The pink-haired directress didn't seem like she was in the mood for jokes, nor did she seem patient. The two girls immediately stood and followed Luka outside the restaurant. Miku looked at her best friend, who shrugged. They continued eating, with Ia stealing a piece of cherry tomato from Rin's salad.

Luka led the two girls into a corner where she was sure Ia and Miku couldn't see them. She crossed her arms, her eyebrows furrowing. Rin and Gumi watched her with concerned eyes, they had a feeling that the pinkette was going to say something unpleasant.

"Kaito's here," Luka said, "but he's with _someone._" Her voice lowered on the final word.

"Someone?" asked Rin, "you don't mean—"

"And Miku's here, too." Gumi frowned.

"We need to make sure they don't see each other." Rin suggested, with the green-haired girl nodding in agreement.

"But still," the Phoebe alternate interjected, "what are the odds of them meeting each other in this _gigantic_ mall?"

"Quite high, since this is where most ice cream shops are." Luka replied before heaving a sigh, "Let's head back. Those two must be getting lonely."

The pair nodded, walking along Luka. The co-directress couldn't imagine the earful she would get from Gakupo if Miku doesn't perform well at rehearsals because of this ordeal. They had arrived at the entrance of the restaurant, but the teal-haired actress was nowhere to be found. The three dashed to Ia, whose plate was already empty.

"Ia, where did Miku go?" Luka asked frantically, her eyes wide with panic.

"She just went to the bathroom." Ia raised her eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"O-oh, I see." The pink-haired directress exhaled, relief flowing through her veins.

The prism-haired lady stood from her seat, setting her napkin on the table. "I'll go check on her," she said with a smile. As Ia left, the girls exchanged worried looks. Rin continued to eat her salad, which looked a little bit _less_ than when she left it earlier. Luka _just_ realized that the girls didn't order anything for her, but just before she was about to scold them—

Ia's feet padded quickly on the floor and told them, "Miku's not in the bathroom."

Rin dropped her fork with a _clack_, Gumi nearly choked on her carrot cake and Luka's mouth was open, as if to say something, but the words wouldn't manifest. The prism-haired girl attempted to calm them down by saying, "I think she mentioned getting ice cream… or was it gelato?… along the way." But, to her surprise, simply made the listeners more panicked.

"What's wrong?" Ia asked, eyebrows furrowed. There was something_ wrong_. And it had something to do with that ice-cream obsessed guy. "Is it Kaito?"

Luka bit her bottom lip; she contemplated the situation for a minute, and then rose from her seat. She didn't mind her growling tummy anymore. If Miku ends up devastated about this, _that's_ what she cannot stomach. They could have told her in the first place, resolve the conflict while it was early. What did _not telling Miku about Kaito's little secret_ have to do with the play anyway? She stepped around the edges of the table so as not to go off balance.

"Rin, Gumi," The pink-haired directress turned around, "explain everything to Ia. I'll go talk to Miku." The two girls nodded. They beckoned Ia to sit beside them, despite her looking suspicious. She felt like this wasn't going to be an easy ride, and braced herself for the news.

xoxoxo

Miku was the third in the ordering line, her toes stretching upwards so she could see the flavor selections. _Great, there's vanilla. _Miku grinned, taking out her wallet. She counted the change she had to spend on the large cup of gelato. The tealette developed a liking for them after her date with Kaito. Even _thinking_ of him made her heart jump. In fact, she might be little bit to vivid with her imaginations because it was like she could hear Kaito nearby. She tried to search for the origin of the voice and turned to different directions.

If she wasn't mistaken, the man with the short blue hair and blue scarf was Kaito. He had his back turned, so Miku couldn't be sure. She surveyed the man, making binoculars with her hands. She was 80% sure he was Kaito, from the way he ate with his spoon. He would always let the spoon glide on his tongue before taking it out, and mystery man did just that.

She tilted her body a bit more, so that she could get a better look. If her eyes weren't deceiving her, he was with someone. A little girl! How adorable. Guys who play with little kids are such turn-ons. …But then again, _why_ was he with a little girl? He couldn't be a loli—no way; Kaito is absolutely _not_ like that, though was she sure?

Even though she knew it was wrong, she decided to eavesdrop.

"…are we gonna go to the park later?" the little girl asked, enthusiasm evident in her voice.

"No, sweetie, it's going to be too dark for that." Kaito replied. _Yep, that's his voice for sure_, Miku nodded to herself.

"Okaaay. If daddy says so," Wait-what? _Daddy? _

Kaito chuckled, leaning forward to pat the kid on the head, "now if you would only obey everything else daddy tells you."

"Hihi~. I will be a good girl to daddy."

Miku was frozen in her position. The cashier was calling for attention, but she could not process the information she just received. She should not have eavesdropped; she should've just shut her ears. Kaito had a child?! The girl from the phone during the audition… was that his child?

"Miss, there are people waiting behind you…" the girl behind the counter said flatly, gesturing to the five people behind her.

"S-sorry," Miku managed to utter before bolting out of the store. She spotted Luka, who she quickly avoided. She dashed to the nearest bathroom and burst inside the nearest cubicle. She was thankful this bathroom was usually empty.

She heard a pair of heels approaching her cubicle. The aquamarine nail polish on the toes gave Miku a clue as to who it was, but she didn't want to talk to anyone. They _knew_ about this, from all the looks they gave her whenever she says that she liked Kaito. Why didn't they just _tell her?_

"Miku, are you there?" Luka rapped on the door of the cubicle. Being the only occupied cubicle, it made sense she would be there.

"Leave me alone," she muttered, burying her face in her lap.

"Miku," the pinkette leaned against the door, "I'm _sorry_ for not telling you in the first place. We didn't want to make the chemistry between you and Kaito awkward, especially before opening night."

"It's a bit too late for that."

"I know, I _know._ Please, come out. The cubicle isn't exactly the cleanest place to sulk in."

Miku opened the door and saw Luka smiling, her open arms offering comfort. Her expression faltered, leading her to cry her heart out in the pinkette's warm, sisterly embrace. The older woman tightened the hug as Miku's sobs grew louder and louder.

"Shh… it's okay, it's okay…" Luka whispered into Miku's hair. She probably didn't hear her, but it was all she could do at the moment. Miku's tears stained the upper portion of Luka's top, and the pinkette wondered if she _truly_ had the right to make her stop crying.

-end of chapter 7-

**A/N: DUN DUN DUUUUUN PLOT TWIST! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. (Did you know how much I wanted Gakupo and Luka to kiss in this chapter? DO YOU?!) We'll see Kaito again in the next chapter, don't worry. Feedback is the best!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Vocaloid, nor do I own the song _Cantarella_ by KuroUsa-P.

**Notes: **_Italics_, in this chapter, stand for dialogue and lyrics from the play or emphasis.

**Chapter 8**

It had been two days since the outing at the mall. Ia and Miku did not talk to anyone from Vocaloid-P since, nor did they exchange a lot of words to each other. The two days simply were not enough for Miku to heal, and Ia was too irritated to actually console her. That night, they just held each other until Miku stopped crying and fell asleep. It took a lot of persuading for Miku to eat something the next morning, she was only able to take in so little because her appetite had dissolved.

They had rehearsal scheduled today. Miku was still hurt from knowing how much the whole ensemble didn't trust her and the fact that the man she was infatuated with had a child. She felt betrayed. Did Kaito think she knew? Was he totally innocent, or was he in on the joke as well? Even _thinking _about him made her want to break down again. Luka told her it was her choice if she wanted to rehearse today, but she needed to be strong. She needed to show the directors that the news wouldn't affect her performance or her chemistry with _him_.

"Miku," Ia said gently, "rehearsal starts at ten, and it's eight-thirty."

The tealette couldn't muster a reply; instead she bobbed her head slightly. Ia frowned; she sat on the chair in front of Miku.

"Hey, it's your choice. I'm sure Luka and Gakupo would totally understand if you don't show up."

Miku opened her mouth to take in a spoonful of cereal. Her eyes were blank, the life in them sucked out. She _did _want to go to the rehearsal, it was her job, after all; she just didn't feel like seeing the faces of the people who betrayed her, _especially_ Kaito's.

"I'll go," Miku muttered flatly, rising from her seat and heading for the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror. She looked terrible. The bags under her eyes were a whole different shade of blue, and her hair was frizzy and felt stiff. _All this because of a boy, huh? _Miku pondered as she stepped inside the shower. She tried her best not to break down as the warm water cascaded down her body.

Ia took a small sip from her cup of tea. She was already dressed for the rehearsal with a gray hoodie and sweatpants. _Not _the most flattering outfit, but Luka told them to wear something simple. Meiko might call them for a costume fitting, so simple clothes were the best option. She diagonally sliced the pancake she made a few minutes earlier and ate the small piece of fluffy pastry. When she had consumed the whole thing, Miku opened the bathroom door.

She was only wearing a towel, and the drops of water on the tips of her hair dripped on the floor. Ia took the towel she used earlier and used it to dry of Miku's hair. She focused primarily on rubbing the tips so the drops won't stain the floor and cause either of them to slip.

"Gosh, Miku," Ia spoke, "I know you're depressed and all, but you have to take care of yourself."

Miku managed to curve her lips slightly. "Sorry, Ia." She handed the towel over for Miku to use by herself. Ia glanced at her wristwatch. They were going to be late, no doubt. She wondered if the two directors really wouldn't mind their tardiness. Luka was always particular with timing, after all.

It took the tealette around fifteen minutes to get dressed; she wore about the same thing Ia wore: a gray hoodie and unattractive sweatpants. The weather forecast said something about rain today, if she could recall correctly. Coincidentally, even the sky didn't want to be happy today; it was gray as well, and on the verge of raining. They thought to bring compact umbrellas just in case it would start pouring.

"Ready to head out?" Her best friend tapped the doormat twice with her foot, swinging the keys with her index finger. Miku gave a silent nod and followed her outside, right before the rain started to pour. They flung their hoodies over their heads, opened their umbrellas and ran to the station.

xoxoxo

Even the main theatre was radio silent. Gakupo was nowhere to be seen, and Luka was the only one inside. The director's seat was there, though unoccupied, so that meant Gakupo was running errands or getting breakfast for the two of them.

The pinkette was on the audience seat beside Gakupo's chair. She had her legs crossed, sitting luxuriously as she studied the script for perhaps the thousandth time. Today, there were going to rehearse the scene where Phoebe and Ethan first set eyes on each other. One could say their meeting was love at first sight, and it was the directors' job to make the scene sensual and convincing.

The actors were told to arrive at ten in the morning, but none of them have arrived so far. Oh well, she didn't expect anyone to be early. Kaito had no excuse to be late since he wasn't physically involved in the fiasco in the mall two days ago, so tardiness was not an option for him. For the other two, however… she did not tell Gakupo of what happened yet. She planned to tell him when he arrives with breakfast.

The purple-haired director entered the main theatre carrying a tray. On the tray, there were a place with three rice balls, and fried eggplant with tofu on the side. It was wonderful, and honestly flattering, how the cafeteria chef knew of their preferences. She grabbed the bottom of the rice ball and bit off the top. How pleasing, there was tuna inside. She glanced at Gakupo, who was cutting off a piece of the eggplant with a plastic knife.

"Gakupo," she began, putting down the rice ball, "I need to tell you something."

"Does this have something to do with my teal-haired muse and Kaito?" Gakupo asked before taking in a cube of fried tofu.

"Y-yes," Luka nodded, averting her eyes. Were her actions too obvious?

"What happened?"

"She found out. No doubt she's depressed about this. She cried in my arms for an hour before someone walked inside the bathroom."

"I hope this won't affect their performances."

"They're professional; it's their duty to do well. But, I feel like we trampled on Miku's trust."

"We did what we thought was best."

Luka slammed her palms on the tray, nearly toppling the food on it. Annoyance was reflected in her eyes, but Gakupo simply gazed at her sternly. There was no more point in arguing. What happened had happened already, all they could do was be there for Miku. The pinkette sat back down quietly then picked out a stray rice grain from her plate and flicked it away.

"If we just _told_ her in the first place," Luka grit her teeth and clenched her fists. She had lost her appetite and politely pushed the saucer of rice balls away from her.

"We can't do anything to change the past, Luka." Gakupo smiled; his eyes so gentle and kind. He laid his hand atop of her clenched fist, reassuring her as he brushed his fingers against the back of her hand. "I admit; I was a colossal jerk for not thinking about the feelings of others. Thank you for being there for her."

They just sat there, with his calloused fingers caressing her hand. Luka didn't object; she felt solaced by the gesture. Silence blanketed the room, but it was of the comforting kind. He could feel the pulse in her wrist hastening, and his face heating up by the second.

The pinkette, unconsciously, brought a hand to his cheek. It stayed there for a moment as their eyes met. If this happened a month ago, Luka would have slapped him, not caress the side of his face like this. Her heart was pounding like a hammer on a nail. Before she could withdraw her fingers, he put his hand on them. She could not look him in the eye anymore, this was just too awkward. Her face was probably a red tomato right now. He used his hand to tilt her chin upwards, leaning forward carefully as to not crush the food on the tray.

Their faces were mere centimeters away from each other when… the peppy voice of a familiar blue-haired ice cream lover chimed in. "Hey, guys! Am I late?"

The abruptly drew away from each other, the skin on their faces a familiar shade of pink. Luka's hand was slightly trembling from what just happened, and Gakupo seemed to have dropped the fried eggplant on his plate.

"Was I _interrupting _something?" Kaito teased.

"N-no!" came Luka's flustered reply, "N-no, you aren't late. Besides, your co-stars aren't here yet. Come, eat with us."

"No thanks, I already ate." Kaito approached the pair. "What were you doing?"

"Just trying to reenact a scene from the play," Gakupo said smartly as he stole a look at Luka, who played along.

"Riiiiiight." He winked at the two of them, a cheeky grin stamped on his face. "Where are those two anyway?"

"They're late," Luka told him, finally regaining her composure. She wasn't even entirely sure if those two will arrive at all. Anyway, Gumi should be here to fill in for Miku should she not attend the rehearsal.

"I see…" Kaito replied, seating himself on the chair beside Luka. "What scene are we rehearsing again today?"

Gakupo flipped open his script book. "Let me see…" He started surfing through the pages until he found the one he was looking for, "here, it's the scene where Phoebe and Ethan first meet."

Kaito blinked and pointed at the script. "Aren't we going to kiss in that scene? Heh, I say the play is a bit too rushed."

"It all depends on Miku if she wants to kiss you or not," the directress told him, "otherwise, we'd have to make use of angles." The actor understood; he didn't want to rush anything, especially when it came to Miku; he respected her.

He did genuinely like the girl. She was charming and sweet. She'll go with whatever weird activity you have in mind and would never accuse you of being strange. It was all a matter of whether she liked him back. He felt like he went a bit too forward when he kissed her on the forehead. What if she didn't want it? Agh, all these thoughts are clouding his head.

The doors to the main theatre creaked, and the two awaited girls entered the room. They… didn't look happy to be here. They looked awfully… gray. Not because of their hoodies, but the aura surrounding them. Luka's lips turned into a frown. She wondered how Miku would react to the sight of Kaito, would she flee or would she stay strong?

"Hey, Miku, Ia!" Kaito greeted them with a friendly smile. The tealette totally ignored him, while Ia shot him a scary look. Did he do something wrong? _Oh right!_ He didn't ask for permission to use Ia—Miss Hoshino's first name yet. "Oops! Sorry… Miss Hoshino." He laughed mentally; it was like he was addressing a teacher. She decided to pretend he didn't exist as well.

The atmosphere reeked of awkwardness. Gakupo cleared his throat to cut through the silence.

"Let's start then, shall we?" he said before he treaded up the stage. He positioned himself on the upper-left of the stage. "Miss Hatsune, please come here." He pointed to the ground where he stood.

Miku obeyed and climbed up the stage. Was she required to be in character? She didn't exactly feel like pretending to be someone else if it's not in the script. She would still try to be cooperative. Which scene was this again? Oh, _God. _It was scene number three. If all goes well, she can just tell Gakupo that she's not ready to do the kissing scene yet.

"And Kaito, to center-left." Gakupo pointed to the space behind him. The blue-haired actor nodded, positioning himself behind Miku, who didn't even want to make eye contact with him. "Now this is a sensual scene, but the intimacy will only be portrayed in the blocking. You won't engage in physical contact until the end of the song, where you will kiss."

Miku pressed her lips into a thin line. She _definitely_ was no longer in the mood for rehearsal today. She found the insides of her hand turning red from how tight she clenched her fists. She fought the tempting urge to walk away from the stage and go home. But then, this was her job. She needed to do this and not make Gakupo think he made the wrong choice in casting her.

Gakupo taught them what to do and where to go for the scene. He asked them if they knew the song, and they both nodded. They were told to walk on an imaginary circle, as if Phoebe was resisting his advances when all that would cause her was to fall all over again. She would act as if she didn't want Ethan, but in the end they would dive in for a romantic kiss in the middle of the circle. This would all be accompanied by the orchestra, led by a sweeping violin solo. Miku had to admit, the song was gorgeous.

Right now, the orchestra was rehearsing in some secluded, soundproof room so all they had was the piano. Fortunately, Luka practiced the piece at home. They also didn't have the props yet, so they had to rely on the crates backstage for makeshift chairs.

"I believe you've memorized your lines for this scene?" The director inquired, his eyes drawn to Miku in particular. She didn't do well in the last rehearsal, but to his amusement, they both nodded. "Please begin."

The tealette sat down on the crate. It creaked a little when she placed herself on top but she thought not to mind it. She pressed her legs together and pretended to hold a flower in with her hands. She was supposed to be irritated in this scene and talking to a stranger about how much she despised the situation she was thrust into.

"_Marriage, they say._" Miku—as Phoebe—began, sounding exasperated, "_It's preposterous! They want to marry me off to some oaf whom I do not know the slightest!" _she threw her hands up in the air as if to rid of the flower in her hand. She placed her balled fists on her lap. _"Though marriage itself isn't a bad idea-" _

"_Then what are you afraid of?" _Kaito—as Ethan—replied, his voice deeper than it normally was. Miku titled her head to the side to look for the one who spoke.

"You're not supposed to look at him yet," Luka pointed out. Gakupo ushered them to go on, as he motioned for Kaito to move around.

"_The idea of falling in love," _Miku told him, shuffling her fingers, "_if the heart really does thump if one meets the eyes of his or her lover, or if one really yearns for that person the moment he or she wakes until he or she sleeps. I'm sorry, I must be rambling—"_

The tealette turned around to witness who the mysterious person she was talking to was. Phoebe was rendered speechless. She stood from the crate, taking small steps backwards. Who was this handsome man before her? Why was her heart beating so quickly? The moment their eyes met, the music would start to play.

"_No, it's perfectly fine. Please, go on." _Kaito urged, following where she treaded.

"_I-I'm not allowed to talk to strangers." _Miku waved him off, walking in normal speed. She heard the soles of his shoes tracing her every step. Luka played the second bar of the intro, and in a few notes, they would sing together again.

The blue-haired actor cried, "_Please, doesn't go!" _ just as Luka played the cue.

"_Mitsume au sono shisen tojita sekai no naka,"_ Kaito reached his arm for Phoebe, but she wouldn't acknowledge him. "_Kidzukanai furi wo shite mo yoi wo satoraresou," _He moved in closer, he would graze his hand above her shoulder but she would shy away before any contact was made. He would try to touch her hair, but she would spin on her heel and shake her head coyly.

"_Yaketsuku kono kokoro kakushite chikaduite, toiki kanshireba shibireru hodo…" _Kaito kept on singing as he played a game of cat and mouse with Miku as a metaphor for courtship.

"_Arifureta koikokoro ima wana wo shikakete, wazuka na sukima nimo ashiato nokosanaiyo…" _They sang the chorus in unison, Miku's high pitched voice contrasting Kaito's seductive baritone. The innocence in Phoebe was slowly being whisked away as she became more and more entranced with Ethan's advances.

Kaito sang by himself as Miku's back faced him. Her subtle actions suggested that she was indeed interested in him, but she wouldn't let him she her face for more than a second.

"_Arifureta koikokoro ni ima wana wo shikakeru, wazukana sukima nozokeba…tsukamaete!"_

She spun on her heel, and reached out for Kaito. "_Tatoeba fukai shigemi no naka suberikomasete,  
tsunaida ase no kaori ni tada okasereteru…"_

They were still not making any physical contact, but their actions seemed to speak it all. She danced around him, unintentionally seducing him with her shy smile. He held his hand out to touch her, but he was denied that opportunity once again. The pink-haired directress continued playing the last bar of the song as the couple got closer and closer to each other. She played the final chord, and then Kaito rounded his arm around Miku's waist and dived in to kiss her.

When their lips touched, no one made a sound. Miku didn't kiss back because she was still hurting, and this was a twist of the knife. Her wounds had been slowly healing and now they've been reopened. This was just _acting_, it was their _duty. _So why did it feel so real? Kaito pulled away after what seemed like an eternity, and when Miku touched her cheek, she realizing that it was wet.

"Cut!" Gakupo said, giving a small applause, "you did great. Your chemistry was no doubt impeccable, though the choreography was cluttered. We'll work on that."

The tealette didn't respond, her hands trembling; she was still stunned by Kaito's actions. She didn't look at anyone before she rushed backstage, hiding the sound of her whimpers. Luka and Ia ran after her with worried looks on their faces. Ia shot an nearly-unnoticeable glare at Kaito before she went to Miku's aid.

The two girls found Miku weeping in a corner, her knees to her chest and the sleeve of her jacket stained with tears and snot. Ia pulled Miku into an embrace, which didn't at all stop her from crying, instead it made her wail louder. Luka wanted to pat the tealette's pack, but Ia scooted her away from the pinkette's gesture.

Kaito and Gakupo went backstage as well to check on Miku. The blue-haired actor didn't know what was happening. He admits that kissing her like that wasn't the greatest idea ever, but he didn't think it would make her _cry, _and not with happy tears either. He wanted to apologize for whatever he did wrong; after all, she's been ignoring him like a beggar since this morning.

"Hey… Miku…" he said, slowly approaching the weeping female, "I-I'm sorry… I rushed it and I feel like an idiot. I-I'm sorry, I just _did _that without even consulting you. _God_, I'm such an idiot."

The more the man spoke a word, the more it infuriated Miku's best friend. "Well it's a _good thing _you know that," Ia growled, her eyes darted towards Kaito, "because what the _fuck_ possessed you to kiss her when she's been avoiding you all day?"

Kaito was taken aback by Ia's words, but it made him feel all the more guilty about what he had done. "I didn't—I was—" Miku's acting was just too convincing for him to resist.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Miku croaked, barely audible. The directors tilted their heads upwards, thinking the question was directed at them.

"Tell you what?" Kaito asked her, crouching down to meet her puffy eyes. She still looked beautiful even when she was crying, a strange feat every girl inherits when a guy likes her.

"That you have a _child_, you— " Ia couldn't bear to finish that sentence; she had already crossed her moral borderline when it came to words just a moment ago.

"…Wait," the actor turned to the directors, "she doesn't know? You didn't tell her?"

"We thought that it would affect your chemistry if we told her," Gakupo explained, his face reflecting regret, "but we were wrong. I deeply apologize."

"I think we should leave Kaito and Miku alone," Luka suggested, taking Gakupo's hand. The purple-haired director agreed. "You, too, Ia." The prism-haired girl thrust her hands into the pockets of her hoodie and left Miku alone with the man who broke her heart.

They were alone, and the theatre seemed so hollow. Miku thought Ia would probably be seated far away from the two directors. She didn't want to speak to Kaito at all. She didn't want to talk to the man who took her for a fool.

Kaito stared at her, the way she averted her teal eyes with from his. Her eyes were red from crying so much, and her face was wet and blotchy. He fished out his handkerchief from his pocket and proceeded to wipe away the tear stains from her smooth, porcelain skin. Though she looked beautiful when she cried, tears did not suit her. Kaito liked it better when Miku was jolly and cheerful, not grey and depressed.

"She's four," he told her, a kind smile adorning his mouth, "and loves ice cream as much as I do. She wasn't a mistake; I hate it when people refer to her as that. Her name's Yuki and I had her when I was still pretty much a teenager."

Miku didn't reply, but she listened. The tone in Kaito's voice suggested that he loved his child more than anything, and would spoil her rotten. A small smile tugged at her lips as she shuffled her feet to Kaito's direction.

"I was sixteen then, barely able to take care of myself. What happened was an accident, but Yuki was the best thing that has even came to my life. She taught me that life isn't all that bad, and that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel."

"She sounds… wonderful." Miku admitted, her eyes hidden by her long fringe. She didn't want to be sweet-talked into accepting his apologies just yet. Sure, Yuki sounded like a sweet child, but what if she was just sweet to Kaito and not to anyone else?

"She is," Kaito agreed, "she is…"

"So why didn't you tell me this during our date?"

"I thought that you already knew; I didn't know that it was kept a secret from you."

"And if they did tell me, do you think I would believe them?" The actor didn't reply. "Yeah, I thought so."

"I'm sorry for not telling you, Miku. I guess I just got distracted by our date. I loved your company, and you made me know what it was like to have fun again. And I'm _sorry_ for kissing you out of the blue."

Miku didn't reply anymore. She felt exhausted from all the emotional turmoil she's received for the past few days. She stood, stretching out the awful "pins and needles" feeling from her legs. She walked to the audience chairs limping, refusing the help of Kaito.

Gakupo told them to have lunch for fifteen minutes and go back to rehearsing after that. There was still a lot of work to be done, and they needed to prioritize the job first before relationship crises. Miku and Ia exited the theatre hand-in-hand to get some comfort food for themselves. Luka told Kaito to go eat as well, for she and Gakupo needed to sort out the blockings of some scenes.

"Be more aware next time, Kaito. We can't have that happening in our next rehearsal." The pink-haired directress said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I don't even think Miku wants to talk to me anymore," Kaito sighed. "I'll sort this out myself. I've handled messier things than these."

"I hope it didn't involve amniotic fluid," Gakupo deadpanned. Luka's eyes got as wide as saucers and slapped his head for good measure. She muttered something along the lines of "too soon, Gakupo, too soon." The blue-haired actor decided to just wave it off.

Sure, Kaito liked Miku more than he's liked any of his past girlfriends, and _maybe_ the kiss wasn't just acting. All that was left is if Yuki would like Miku, and vice versa. He decided to give her a call tonight to ask her out on another date, hoping it would somehow mend their relationship slightly. Now, the play is top priority.

-end of chapter 8-

**A/N: **Honestly, I felt like I could have done better. Also, I'm going to move to another neighborhood in two days so I might not be able to update as fast as I do now, with the move and all. And _college _(ugh) is just around the corner. At least the next chapter is going to be a date one! Thanks for reading~! Reviews and feedback are the best!


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Vocaloid.

**Chapter 9**

"And that's a wrap!" Gakupo announced from behind his signature megaphone.

The tense actors relaxed from their positions. Ia had her arm locked around Kaito's; they were rehearsing a quarrel scene with Phoebe and Isabella and, to say the least, it was intense. Miku had actual tears hanging off her chin, while Ia almost screamed herself hoarse (which Gakupo greatly discouraged, but it added to the realism). Kaito was directed to stay silent and hide his face from the audience but make them know that he's in despair.

The prism-haired girl tried to show a small smile on her lips to acknowledge Kaito's wonderfully subtle performance, but she was much too upset from what happened earlier. She approached her best friend, and gave her a supportive pat on the back. Miku smiled in return, wiping off the excess tears fighting to slip off her eyelids.

"You were all amazing," Luka complimented, jotting who-knows-what down her clipboard, "but," she tapped on the piece of rectangular cardboard, nibbling on the cap of her pen, "I'll start with you, Miss Hatsune."

Uh-oh, formalities. It meant Luka was about to say something possibly hurtful and unleash her inner dragon. Miku inhaled deeply, clasping her hands together. _Please_ let it be mostly positive. In her own humble opinion, Miku thought she did a decent job. She was disciplined enough not to let her emotions get the better of her. Unlike _someone_ else she knew.

"I found your performance breathtaking, as expected." Luka glimpsed at Miku, a small smile gracing her lips but her eyes were still icy, "but your words were drowned by your tears. You were barely understandable, we expect you to find a solution for this. Also, we want you to know your lines by heart. _Be_ Phoebe, feel her. Don't just let her bounce off you, absorb her."

"Thank you, Director Megurine," Miku gave a slight bow.

It wasn't as bad as Miku thought. Phew. She felt like she was in an episode of those singing shows, but thankfully Luka was a frank lady with her opinions, but still found a way to slightly sugarcoat and be motherly.

"Miss Hoshino," Luka called out.

Ia immediately stiffened, her grip on Miku's arm tighter than before. The prism-haired girl pushed a stray stand of hair behind her ear and stepped forward, anticipating the pink-haired directress's input. Luka eyed Ia, then shifted her attention back to the clipboard, then back to the nervous Ia.

She opened her mouth to speak, "I believe this is your first time rehearsing with us. I have to say on our behalf, we were not disappointed." The two directors exchanged proud looks. "Although, your acting needed a little bit more work. Screaming doesn't exactly equal intense emotions. Try not to tire your voice out, okay? Your acting just needs a little more polishing. Like what I told Miku, _be_ your character. That is all."

Ia nodded in response, her brows furrowing and her lips in a tight line. She had processed every piece of advice the directress had given her, giving her the motivation to improve in the next rehearsal. She let out a phrase of gratitude before reuniting with Miku, whom she shared a playful high-five with.

"Last but not least, Mr. Shion," Gakupo read over Luka's shoulder, startling the directress. She smacked the purple-haired man with the clipboard.

Kaito gulped, setting his foot forward. He raked his hand through his sweaty hair; he needed to take a shower later. They said showers boost confidence, and he needed confidence to be able to call Miku for a date.

"You were wonderful, as usual," Luka told him, wiping off the invisible dust from her clipboard, "but you didn't give it your all. We expected a little bit more, Mr. Shion. Indeed, your subtlety and charm was still there, but that was all that remained. You didn't put yourself in Ethan's shoes completely yet and, thought you did well, we expect you to do better."

The blue-haired actor forced a smile, and stepped backward. What Luka said was absolutely true; he didn't put his heart into this rehearsal. He did well before all the drama started, and it just distracted him. Instead of thinking of what Ethan would do in the scene, he was thinking of Miku and if she would accept his invitation later. The chances are sixty-forty, in favor of the negative. Kaito mentally sighed; he shouldn't be so pessimistic.

Luka held her clipboard against her chest, her arms crossed over them. Her expression softened, and her eyes were no longer the cold ones from a few minutes ago.

"Overall, you all did a wonderful job. But if I were to give you a grade, I'd give you an 85 percent out of 100. Good, but you can all you better. Please memorize your lines as well." She beamed proudly, her face showing no sign of disappointment or dishonesty.

"I believe that is all," Gakupo said, giving a warm grin, "please take care on the way home. See you all next rehearsal."

The day was finally over. Ia stretched her arms upwards, exhaling deeply. She walked over to the directors to express gratitude. They patted her on the back for the good work and did the same thing with Miku. The tealette smiled gratefully before she followed Ia to the door.

The two girls slung their bags over their shoulders after checking if they forgot anything. They bade goodbye to all of the people in the room, Kaito included, and walked out of the theatre.

As they were on the hallway, Ia whispered to Miku, "You've been doing well. No breakdowns so far."

"That's because I'm an actress," the tealette replied. She zipped her hoodie up, and proceeded to walk faster than her best friend.

They couldn't bring themselves to talk to each other on the train ride home. Miku kept silent the whole way, and Ia wasn't in the mood for her 'witty' comebacks._ For the love of God, please let Kaito fix this already. _The prism-haired girl thought, fingernail dragging on the rubbery seat of the passenger train.

xoxoxo

As Kaito walked to his house, he was greeted by the rain. The weather application on his cellphone didn't forecast any rainfall. He used his leather bag to shield himself from the droplets. He _could not_ get sick! He had to bring Miku to a date! Where would he bring her though?

Luckily, it was just a drizzle and he was wearing a hoodie, so he wasn't affected by the sudden downpour. He brushed the soles of his shoes against the doormat to get rid of some of the muck that he might have stepped on. He dug into his pocket and fished out his house keys. He opened the door and the first thing he saw was a little girl with a huge grin.

"Daddy, you're home!"

The sound of his daughter's voice almost made him forget of the problems he had during rehearsal today. She greeted him by the doorway, where she hugged his torso. Kaito gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead and told her to go play with her toys.

"Where's your uncle Akaito?" Kaito asked her. That bastard left Yuki all alone again; she must have been so lonely.

Yuki scratched the side of her face, "He went out with a girl, I think."

The blue-haired actor sighed, massaging his temple. It must have been a _great_ woman for him to leave Yuki all alone _without anyone to look after her. _Oh, Akaito was going to get it.

Kaito eyed Yuki, who was clutching at his hand. She was already in line with his knees; she was growing taller than most kids her age. The child's pigtails were disheveled, one side higher than the other. There was a smudge of coloring material on her cheek, covering the beauty mark she had in that spot. Still, she kept that optimistic aura along with her.

"Did you have dinner already?" Kaito crouched down to her level, meeting her black eyes.

Yuki shook her head. _That Akaito…_ Kaito growled mentally. He was going to have a long talk with his_ beloved_ cousin when he would come back home.

She looked exactly like her mother and not a bit like him. The same black hair and the same caramel eyes, he wished she had inherited even his goofy nature but no, she was a born lady. Of course, he had to teach her the proper table manners and to always eat her vegetables. It was Akaito who fed her apples, thus leading to her obsession with the fruit.

It was then when he realized how essential a mother was to a child's development. _His_ mother wouldn't even call him anymore; he was no longer part of their family. He had to raise Yuki by himself, while Akaito's family helped him take care of the baby, like changing her diapers and feeding her. It all had to be done in secret though, so he and his cousin, Akaito, had to move together to a new apartment.

In some ways, Kaito missed her… Yuki's mother. He was certain his teenage self found "the one" but he had to screw up and get her pregnant. She was ripped away from him, and Yuki was supposed to be taken from him as well. She was transferred to a foreign land for her the safety of her family's reputation, but decided to leave Yuki with him. It was him who wanted to keep the baby, anyway.

She was now only a memory to him, an ironed crease in the cloth. She disappeared from Yuki's life like a coward. Kaito would sometimes think what would happen if she had stayed, if they had raised the child together. Would Yuki still be the same person? As soon as he thought about it, though, he would shake it off.

"Let's go cook some apple pie, okay?" Kaito suggested, a kind smile stretching his lips.

"Yay apple pie!" Yuki exclaimed, pulling her father's sleeve behind her to the kitchen.

The dishes from earlier this morning remained unwashed and created a fort of sorts in the sink. Maybe he could teach Yuki how to wash dishes soon, plastic ones first of course. Thankfully, she was a fast learner. She learned how to write first name when she turned three, and her full name three days after that. That fact alone made Kaito a proud father.

Kaito slipped off his blue apron from the rack. He hung it over his neck, and tied the strings to his waist in a ribbon. Yuki also took her adorable white apron with her favorite red fruit sewn in the middle and hung it over her neck.

"Would you please pass me the pie mix from the drawer?" Kaito requested, gesturing to the drawer. As if he would make an apple pie from _scratch_, come on. He knew how to cook, but he wasn't talented enough to make anything without ready-made mixes. Perhaps one day he'll bake one on his own…

An imaginary lightbulb lit above the blue-haired actor's head. _HOLY CRAP! I JUST GOT AN IDEA! _

That's it! Instead of those regular, boring restaurant dates, he'll invite Miku over and they'll bake cupcakes together. _Yes! Genius! _Kaito started mentally congratulating himself. It was a new experience; he needed to buy ingredients and everything else. He needed to plan;he needed to clean the house as well, starting with the mountain of dirty dishes on the sink.

Yuki doesn't approve of (future) girlfriends in the house though, so he might need to ask for help from his _beloved _cousin Akaito. Since it was the weekend, there wasn't any school. He needed him to stall for at least until night, like taking Yuki out to the park or to an apple orchard. _Somewhere_ she won't look for him or think about him. It was a little bit of a farfetched idea, but he needed to set things right.

"Here's the pie mix, daddy," the little girl held out the box with outstretched arms, standing on her toes.

"Thank you, Milady." Kaito received the pie mix with a grin before giving her head a pat and swiping his index finger on the tip of her nose, making her giggle. "Do you think you can read this for me?"

"I-I'll try…" Yuki cleared her throat before she began to read the instructions, "Add… water… to the… m-mix…"

Kaito listened eagerly to the four-year-old, who was struggling with her words. She had difficulty in saying the more "big kid" words; he had to teach her the correct way to say it. She couldn't pronounce the words "sophisticated," and "elegant," the two words her father always described her as. She would always say, "sofis-cated" or "el-gunt" but Kaito thought it was adorable, so he decided to leave it to her teachers to correct her on her little mispronunciation.

In all honesty, he had already memorized the procedure to make the pastry, but he loved hearing his daughter improve every time he asked her to read for him. She was much brighter than he was when he was her age. He couldn't even read a nursery rhyme book at age four, how much more the instructions to a pie mix?

He had just finished cracking the eggs and adding them to the mix when a _ding-dong!_ interrupted their cooking moment.

"Coming!" Yuki called, untying her apron and setting it on the counter.

When he opened the front door, he saw his long-awaited red-haired cousin carrying a crumpled bouquet of flowers. Akaito couldn't even look them in the eye when he stepped inside the house; he dragged his feet like a zombie past them and fell face first on the couch. His exaggerated sobs were muffled from the pillow he squashed his clean face into.

He slammed his fists unto the pillow. "She _stood me up!_ She said that she would meet me at the park but she just left me waiting under the rain!_" _

Kaito smirked, his shadow looming over his cousin's miserable body. "Serves you right for leaving Yuki all alone." His daughter hummed in agreement.

Akaito moved from his position, sitting up. He took the child's small hands and held it between his folded ones. "I'm sorry, Yuki…"

"It's okay! I watched TV so it wasn't too scary," Yuki reassured her uncle, her beaming face glistening with childlike innocence. The red-haired cousin expressed his happiness by securing his arms around Yuki's little torso.

_Still doesn't excuse you from being a neglectful guardian, _Kaito thought before prying to remove Yuki from his cousin's tight grip.

He was glad he raised his daughter to be a sweet child; always saying "thank you" three seconds after receiving something, and always so forgiving… at least, to the family she knows anyway. She would just stay quiet when Kaito would bring a woman to the house, and Yuki was usually talkative, so it made most home dates quite uncomfortable.

_But not the next one! _That reminds him… he needed help.

"Hey, Akaito," Kaito whispered to his cousin's ear, "I need to talk to you. Alone."

xoxoxo

"That'll be 60 Notes." The cashier told the prism-haired girl before her.

Ia thrust her hand into her handbag and took out her chubby coin purse. She picked out three twenty-Note coins and handed the cashier the exact amount she asked for. She left the convenience store skipping, plastic bag swinging in her hand.

What did she buy exactly? Ia thought it was really insensitive to bring back a ice cream stick when the mere mention of ice cream transformed her best friend to a weeping mess, so she thought to buy one for herself and eat it on the way. Sure, she was still annoyed at the bastard, but she didn't associate him with ice cream like Miku did. Can you blame a girl and her cravings?

Ia found a nearby bench which was no longer wet from the rain and decided to indulge herself there. She ripped open the plastic wrapping of the fattening ice cream stick covered in chocolate with vanilla inside. It was half-cracked and almost broken (she didn't pick well,) so she had to eat it quickly before it melted. Ia bit off the top portion of the cold stick of frozen sugar, making a crunching sound as she sank her teeth into it. For a moment there, she almost understood why Kaito loved ice cream so much.

_Speaking of the devil,_ Ia watched as a familiar blue-haired actor passed by her. He was engrossed in a piece of paper and her face was obscured by her scarf, so he couldn't have noticed her. Why was he here? She quickly consumed her dessert and decided to stalk—no, stalk was too heavy a word—_investigate _Kaito.

He was heading to the same convenience store she was in! Oh well. She thought that having _two _sticks in a day wasn't too bad. Besides, Miku had an ice cream parlor date with him and she didn't get fat or hoarse, so what's the harm in having two? Then again, Miku's most envious aspect was the fact that she never gained weight, no matter what she ate.

She tailed Kaito, cleverly hiding her face with her scarf and tying her hair up in a bun. She also thought to wear sunglasses but it was _nighttime_, so she would probably attract some unneeded attention. Instead, she wore a pair of fake eyeglasses. Why did she have that in her purse? She liked being ready for everything. Plus, they were cute.

Surely the blue-haired actor wasn't clever enough to see through her (paper-thin) disguise? At least, if she stayed a few feet away from him, she wouldn't be that easy to identify.

They were both at the baking aisle, where everything from flour and shortening could be found. Meaning, he wasn't going to buy chocolates or anything to apologize to Miku. Ia frowned at him before she pretended to read the contents of a random bag of flour she found.

He carried a shopping basket with him, and on his left hand he held a list of the things he needed to buy. Ia decided to stride past him, taking a peek at the list on his hand while carefully making sure he didn't hear her footsteps or her breathing.

It was a baking list for baking a cupcake! Maybe he was going to bake cupcakes with his daughter. That would be sweet. But what if he was baking cupcakes for _Miku? _That would induce diabetes. If that's the case, Kaito wouldn't want to be bothered by Ia the stalk—SLEUTH. Ia the sleuth. Yeah, that had a nice ring to it.

She smiled to herself and walked to the ice cream carts. She surveyed all the options, and settled for the strawberry flavored popsicle stick. She pondered for a moment, and decided to bring a small box of vanilla ice cream home for Miku. Things like these should be eaten by pairs, and Ia didn't want to be lonely.

xoxoxo

Miku woke up with the sunlight steaming in her face, her pink curtains blowing in the wind while refracting the ultraviolent rays. It was like a natural alarm clock, and she loved it whenever she was woken up that way. She thought, _what a beautiful day. Better not waste it sulking around about…_ she decided to stop her train of thought right there.

No, she was having a wonderful day. Today, she swore to herself _not _to cry. She should invite Ia out to the mall or to breakfast at some cheap fast food joint. Maybe she could call the twins or Gumi or even the _directors _for a day out? So many ideas going through her mind and she didn't have the capacity or the time to do them all.

She plopped herself back to the bed, the back of her hand bumping Ia's side as her teal hair splayed out against the soft futon. She wanted to go back to sleep and just spend the whole day lying on her bed but it was such a beautiful day outside! She couldn't afford to put such a rare kind of day to waste.

This was _Miku_'_s_ time to wake Ia up. The teal-haired girl smiled deviously as she pulled Ia's blanket away. Reflexively, Ia cuddled herself into a fetal position.

"Ia! Ia, wake up!" She told her best friend, shaking her back and forth.

"Another minute…" Ia mumbled, a mark of dried saliva made a trail on her face when she was asleep.

"Ia, go out with meeeee..."

"WHAT?!"

Heh. She knew that would wake her up.

Miku stifled a giggle. "I mean to the mall. Or the park. Wherever. I want to get busy, and it's such a pretty day to today."

Ia glanced at the window, where rays of yellow sunlight peeped from the curtains. Yes, it did seem like a nice day today, birds chirping and all, despite being the last few days of autumn. She propped herself on her elbows, and took a while to think.

"Fine, I'll take a shower, you get dressed. But first, make up your mind. I won't be treating you." And with a playful wink at her best friend, she entered the bathroom.

Miku nodded and looked for proper clothes to wear in this cold weather. She chose a thick coat she bought from Teto's store over a fluffy sweater and a pair of skinny jeans. She accessorized with a pair of pink ear mufflers and a blue scarf. She thought the blue scarf was too much and slipped it off.

Ia stepped out of the shower in only a towel when the doorbell buzzed.

Who would visit at this time? The two girls exchanged curious looks before Ia seemed like she remembered something and started panicking.

"Pass me some clothes, Miku, _quick!_" she commanded. Miku picked out some clothes and undergarments from the top of Ia's drawers and tossed them to her. The prism-haired girl rushed inside the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

The doorbell rang again. Miku nearly forgot about the person at the door and used the peephole on the door to see who as at the other side.

…No _way. No. _He wasn't going to ruin her perfect day. _No. _What was he _doing _here? How did he find her? How did he know which room they stayed? Oh yeah. He drove her here. But _still_ how did he know which room she lived in? She was snapped back to Earth when the doorbell rang the third time.

Ia, whose hair was tied up with a towel, pushed her gently out of the way and whispered, "I'll take care of this."

The prism-haired girl opened the door halfway and saw the accursed blue-haired actor standing patiently with a bouquet of red tulips at hand. No cupcakes! How disappointing. Wait—no cupcakes, flowers… could he be asking her out again?

"Good morning, Miss Hoshino. Is Miku home?" Kaito asked her with the most sugary smile a man could muster. Perhaps the beautiful-day-syndrome was infecting him as well.

Ia blinked, unable to speak. "A moment, please." She shut the door; her hand gripped tightly on the handle and flung her head to the side, facing Miku.

"He's looking for you."

"Tell him I'm not here!" Miku replied in a hushed tone.

"But he has _flowers_ and he's like a puppy out there!"

"No. I'm still sore from what happened."

"I know that," Ia almost sounded defeated, but she needed them to make up, "talk to him at least?"

The teal-haired girl sighed. She approached the door, her hands on her hips. Ia opened the door for her and she found Kaito standing there, holding out the red tulips in front of him. He hung his head, hiding his eyes with his long, blue fringe. Since the flowers were on his face, they couldn't see that he was blushing.

Miku closed the door, much to Ia's satisfaction. "What are you doing here, Kaito?"

"I-I came here to apologize a-and t-t-to…" Kaito gulped, nearly bending the stems of the flowers from his tight hold, "t-t-to i-invite you o-over m-my place to m-make C-CUPCAKESWITHME!"

"What?!" He lost her at "invite you over."

"I won't do anything suspicious! Just you and me. And possibly Ia, if you want to bring her along."

Miku's jaw hung open, and only staccato vowel sounds came out of her mouth. Ia, who was listening along, replied in her stead.

"We'd _love_ to, but what about your—"

"She's at an amusement park with her uncle," the blue-haired actor explained, "a-and she won't be back until the evening."

Ia hid an amused smile with her fist. _Ah, so he took the initiative. Good for him! _

"I-if Ia will come with me, t-then I guess I can come along…" Miku murmured, blushing just as hard as her kind-of boyfriend was.

"You will?!" Kaito's face lit up, emphasized by the glaring sunlight.

Ia's lips tried to hold back a huge grin. The two were bumbling idiots together, but _cute _bumbling idiots. Like puppies. She excused herself to fix her hair and get ready.

When she left, Kaito found the opportunity to ask for forgiveness. He gave her the flowers, which she graciously received. Her eyes softened as she realized they were red tulips… the same kind of flower he gave her on that day. She noticed something else: a white tulip standing out from all the red ones.

"Miku, please… forgive me… I was stupid and an idiot and I can never forgive myself for making you cry. But I hope you can forgive me, so that I can at least make things better. I really like you, Miku. I _really_, _really_ do."

The teal-haired girl stared wide eyed as she listening to his confession. Every word resonated sincerity, and her heart was warmed by his small speech. Maybe she could just forgive him; she wasn't one to hold grudges anyway.

…Wait. Did he just say that he _liked_ her? He _liked _her? As in _like _like? Infatuation? Or maybe…

Ia burst the door open, her hair still moist, "I'm ready! Shall we?"

Miku gave a small nod and they were both escorted to Kaito's car, where they drove to his humble apartment room which he called 'home'.

Nobody took the front seat, despite Kaito's insistence.

xoxoxo

Kaito's apartment was a lot bigger than Miku's. His apartment actually had a room for the kitchen and had separate bedrooms for everyone. Ia wondered how he could afford all this with a child on his shoulders, but he did mention an uncle. Maybe he lived with the said uncle, seeing as there were two big rooms.

"Please make yourselves at home," the actor welcomed them to their humble home with a bow.

The house had been thoroughly cleaned and prepared for their arrival. The coloring books on the tabletop were arranged in one neat pile, and there was not one speck of dirt on the floor. Did Kaito clean all this himself? He would make a good housewife, from what they witnessed.

He led them to the kitchen, which was also sparkling. The counters were spotless, the silver sink was gleaming and the microwave oven was good as new. On the counter were the ingredients for the cupcake, neatly lined up like handed them two spare aprons from the rack; they were slightly tattered, but smelled like it was recently laundered. Wow, he really didn't leave one thing tainted.

"Miss Hoshino, do you want to help us with baking?" Kaito offered, securing the apron on his waist.

Ia let out an awkward laugh as she waved her hands sideways. "No, I can't bake for my life."

"Really? Then it'll be a new experience for all of us." The blue haired actor let out a grin, rubbing the back of his head with his hand.

Miku turned to Kaito, her expression spelled worried, "You mean you've never baked before?"

"I have, if ready-made mixes count."

Ia sighed; she was happy she was here. They needed someone to extinguish the fires, and knowing Miku, there was going to be fire. Or at least something burnt.

"Well, little experience is better than none. I'll just leave you lovebirds and watch TV. Don't do anything nasty." Ia left the kitchen with a wink at the two, making herself comfortable at the couch. She turned on the TV and waited patiently for the smell of smoke.

"So, uh…" Kaito searched his pocket for the recipe, "we'll just follow the instructions on this…"

The blue-haired man showed her the piece of paper where he carelessly wrote the recipe. His handwriting was barely cohesive, like squiggly lines with occasional spaces, but Miku could understand it a bit.

"Well, I'll start the creaming," she suggested, starting to gather the needed ingredients, "can you preheat the oven to a hundred and eighty degrees?"

"Sure."

Kaito headed for the oven and turned the temperature knob clockwise. He felt the surface of the appliance heat up by the second. Did he wash the pot holders? They needed pot holders to open the oven without getting burned.

"Kaito, where do you keep the bowls? We need bowls."

The blue-haired actor swiped a plastic bowl from the dish rack and gave it to Miku.

"Thank you," Miku flashed a grateful smile as she started to mix in the ingredients. Did she measure them beforehand? They looked a little bit… more… than what was prescribed. Nah, he must be overthinking.

The teal-haired girl began moving the wooden spoon in a clockwise motion, combining the butter and sugar together. She asked Kaito to beat two eggs for her and to prepare one tablespoon of vanilla extract. The more she mixed the ingredients, the paler it got. Perfect! She was doing it correctly.

"Kaito, the eggs please."

He dropped the eggs into the mixture and Miku started spinning again. He added the vanilla extract, and everything looked fine. So far, so good. He had a fire extinguisher at the ready if anything involving flames were to happen.

The teal-haired girl asked for the flour. Kaito cheerfully handed her the prescribed amount of flour in a small bowl. Miku walked forward to receive the bowl of flour, but when she stepped towards him, she felt something slippery on the sole of her foot and she fell on her bottom, the bowl of flour covering her apron and the bottom half of her hair in white powder.

Instead of whimpering like a child, she began laughing. "This always happens when I try to bake."

"Are you okay?" Kaito knelt down in front of her, removing the bowl of spilt flour from her torso and grabbed a hand towel and started wiping her apron.

"Yeah, I'm totally fine," _Lies. My butt hurts like hell. But I'd rather not let him know that. _

Kaito dusted off the excess flour from her torso. "Let's get this gunk off you, then we can continue, okay?"

She grasped his hand, stopping him. His palm felt rough, especially from all the cleaning he did to the house. Miku suddenly realized what she was doing and stammered, "T-this is just a minor setback, we can continue right now."

"No, it was my fault. I accidentally spilled a bit of egg yolk to the floor and didn't wipe it off in time. In fact, everything was my fault." Kaito let out a hopeless sigh, feeling sorry for himself.

"But it isn't." Miku replied, "I was careless, I didn't watch where I was going."

The blue haired actor sighed and held out a hand to help her sit up.

"Tell me your story," Miku said, swiping off the flour from the tips of hair.

"Do you really want to know my story?" Kaito asked somberly, setting the filthy hand towel down. Miku nodded, her attention undivided.

"I was sixteen, and seriously in love. I wanted to be a doctor, but then I got her pregnant. I was kicked out of my own house, disowned by my own family. I went to my cousin's family for help, and luckily, I was able to move in with my cousin, Akaito."

"She was going to be transferred to a school in abroad, but she was able to convince her parents to stay and take care of the baby with me. In the end, that plan fell through. She left for another country a month after giving birth. She didn't even get to see her own child. I didn't want to betray Yuki the way my parents betrayed me. So, I took her in; I raised her. I signed up for a part-time job in some fast food joint, but I screwed it up and was fired. This part is going to be a bit embarrassing…"

Kaito laughed awkwardly, but Miku was intent on listening to his whole story.

"I signed up for Vocaloid-P as a janitor. I needed an income to take care of Yuki, and to pay for the rent. I was caught singing by Mr. Leon, the CEO, while on duty. He asked me to audition for the role, but I told him that I was still a high school student. He waved that off, and gave me the job as an ensemble actor. So I finally had a source of income, and I could feed Yuki with my own money."

"I think you're wonderful," Miku said absentmindedly, "You love her so much, don't you? Yuki, I mean."

Kaito nodded, sweeping off a patch of flour from her hair. His eyes shifted to her face, staring straight into her teal eyes. He took her hand and helped her sit up and said, "I like you very much, Miku Hatsune. Maybe a bit more than like. No. I love you, Miku Hatsune."

Miku's eyes got wide as her face turned bright red. She gawked at him, his announcement taking a little bit of time to process into her nervous system.

"I love you, Miku. You're a wonderful person, and I can't believe it took me this long to find someone like you. I want to spend more time with you. I want you to meet Yuki. I want to get to know you better. I know it's kind of early for me to decide that I'm in love with you, but I am. I am in love with you."

She couldn't breathe, as if her heartbeat was blocking her windpipe (if that was possible.) _Is this really happening? _Miku couldn't look him in the eye, bashfully hiding her face with her fringe. His calloused hands remained on top hers.

Kaito sliced through the silence. "I-it's fine if you don't give me an answer. I can wait. I just wanted to know if you at least liked me back—"

In a sudden and swift motion, she placed his face in between her hands, pulled him towards her and pressed her lips against his. Their teeth clicked, their noses bumped but they would both agree that it felt perfect. Kaito was definitely surprised by the action, but instead of pushing her away, he held her closer, deepening the kiss. His chapped lips were soft against hers, as if they were made to be together like this. He smelled like apples and men's perfume. Miku drew away to inhale, but she had just realized what she had done.

She covered her mouth, her whole face the shade of cherries. Kaito leaned forward, gently putting her hand down. He brought her hand to his mouth, his lips brushing her knuckles. They were soft, as if she never worked her entire life.

"I need to make up for what I did last time. Maybe I can kiss you properly this time…" The blue-haired actor murmured against the back of her hand. Miku bit her bottom lip, unsure of what to respond. The uncertainty remained reflected in her irises, but by some involuntary reflex, her head bobbed slightly.

Kaito smiled, his hand reaching out to lift Miku's chin. She gazed into his striking azure eyes, full of emotion and, possibly, love. He moved closer to her, their faces now merely inches away from each other.

With a sharp intake of breath, they kissed.

Miku latched her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with the locks of his hair. She felt him round his arms around her waist, his hands playing with the ribbon on her apron. His arms were so huge around her body, it made her feel secure.

She wondered if Yuki's mother, whoever she was, loved Kaito the way he loved her. Did Kaito hold her like this once too? Miku didn't want to fill in the empty patch in his heart; she didn't want to feel like a replacement. She wanted to be with him, to make him happy.

"Wow, I knew it was going to get hot and steamy in here but not _this _kind of hot and steamy."

Ia snapped the both of them out of their little romantic liaison. They were both on the floor, their arms entangled around their bodies. Kaito's shirt was raised high enough to expose his toned stomach, and the teal-haired girl had her leg wrapped around his calf.

The lovebirds looked at each other, while Miku, in her embarrassment, pushed Kaito away. They didn't realize they were already on their way to the next base…

"Sorry for interrupting you guys," Ia teased, leaning over the counter, "but ants are swarming your mix…"

"Oh crap!" Miku bolted up and checked the bowl with butter and sugar. Ah, amidst all that emotion, they had forgotten the real reason as to why Miku was in the kitchen in the first place.

Kaito sighed. "Seems like we'll have to start again."

"I'll help this time." Ia said, smirking. She took an apron from the rack, and secured it to her waist. "Baking first, because I'm hungry, _then_ I'll leave you two alone to do your stuff."

Miku blushed furiously, taking a handful of flour and throwing it at Ia, landing straight on her face.

"What the _heck_, Miku?" Ia grabbed more flour and tossed it in Miku's direction. Soon, the two girls were having a flour battle.

Kaito decided to stay in the background, trying to be a pacifier at the same time.

"...We really shouldn't be wasting the flour…"

-end of chapter 9-

**A/N: **Hi there, loyal readers! I am so sorry I took so long to update. But here's an XL-sized chapter for all of you~ Good news: the house is perfect. Also, Kaito's confession sounded better in Japanese. Forgive me for being a weaboo, but I think the confession translates to: "Suki da. (some complicated Japanese words here) Iya. Daisuki da." OH GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE I WROTE THAT

Anyway, reviews are love!


End file.
